According to the National Weather Service, the Pittsburgh area is on track to see an end to its lingering snow showers this morning as a high-pressure system builds across the region. With the snowfall ceasing, Pittsburghers can expect dry conditions to persist throughout the weekend.
Today's forecast calls explicitly for cloudy and below-normal temperatures, with scattered flurries tapering off as the day progresses. A significant impact is that the high pressure is projected to cause a slow warming trend, bringing temperatures back up to seasonable levels by Sunday. While the exact end time for the morning's flurries remains somewhat uncertain, the high-pressure system moving in appears to indicate drier conditions on the horizon.
Moving into the weekend, skies should begin to clear. With the high-pressure system centered over West Virginia on Saturday, Pittsburgh can expect the last clouds to dissipate by Saturday morning. This will make way for clearer skies and continued dry weather into Sunday.
The long-term outlook for Pittsburgh includes periodic precipitation chances through the period, with temperatures averaging near seasonable norms, as mentioned by the National Weather Service. The region should brace itself for another trough forecasted for Thursday, which potentially spells the highest precipitation probabilities for the upcoming week. That said, rainfall will be primarily the concern, though shifts to snow are possible in the wake of colder air following these trough systems.
Aviation forecasts call attention to the cold advection in northwest flow that will continue supporting light lake-enhanced snow showers in the early morning. Efforts by the high-pressure system to encourage subsidence should gradually erase these snow showers, allowing for clearer conditions. However, there remains a 50/50 chance for persistent MVFR ceilings towards the end of the TAF period.
No new watches or warnings have been issued since the Winter Weather Advisory expired at 7 AM EST. For those taking to the skies or planning their commutes, high pressure indicates more stable flying conditions and drier travel routes for Saturday and Sunday. However, early next week's weather forecast anticipates potential restrictions and precipitation as shortwaves drop from the Great Lakes into the area.
