The National Weather Service Pittsburgh, PA, has released its area forecast, which includes a synoptic overview of the weather expected for the week leading up to the holiday season. According to the latest advisory, Pittsburgh can anticipate dry but cold conditions going into Sunday, with the mercury struggling to push past the 20s during the day and tumbling into the teens or even single digits overnight.
For those hoping for a white Christmas, Monday night could see a return of light precipitation, possibly snow accumulation, especially north and east of Pittsburgh. Precipitation probabilities are high at 80%+ with this feature, but moisture return ahead of it appears paltry given a lacking meridional component to the flow ahead of its arrival, explains the forecast discussion. With this in mind, any daytime snowfall on Monday could be threatened by warming temperatures on Christmas Eve, potentially dampening the odds of snow sticking around for the holiday.
The latter part of the week signifies a shift, hinting at a gradual warm-up. While low precipitation chances are indicated for Christmas Day, the trend moves towards more agreeable conditions, with temperatures forecasted to climb above 50 degrees south of Pittsburgh by Thursday. The National Weather Service further notes, "Confidence in a warming trend is increasing" across the region, which could signal an end to any lingering hopes of festive flurries.
The aviation community should prepare for mixed conditions. VFR is expected to be the general rule from Sunday into Monday evening, with light winds and increasing visibility. However, an incoming system may disrupt this pattern by Monday night, bringing potential IFR conditions and another bout of light snow into Tuesday. The Service cautions that the highest chance for IFR conditions (40%- 55%) is expected between early Tuesday morning and Tuesday afternoon. Beyond this point, periodic disturbances could shake up the settled weather again towards the weekend.
While no advisories are currently in place, the National Weather Service advises everyone to stay updated on the latest weather developments and consider the forecast’s implications for any travel or outdoor activities planned around the holiday period.
