The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has released its latest forecast, predicting light snow today with accumulations of 2 to 4 inches possible in higher terrain areas. According to the Weather Service's morning report, gusty winds will continue through the night. The service has issued a winter weather advisory for the higher peaks of the Laurels and the Preston and Tucker County ridges in West Virginia, with wind gusts possibly reaching over 50 mph in those areas.
Travelers should note that snow shower activity is forecasted to diminish from southwest to northeast as the day progresses. The chance of seeing at least a dusting of snow is greater than 75% across the region. However, the likelihood of more substantial accumulations over 1" is mainly confined to areas where orographic lift comes into play. Moreover, a tight pressure gradient is expected to maintain gusty conditions overnight, with winds slowing somewhat after dark. Temperatures are predicted to hover around freezing this morning before slightly dropping to the 20s tonight.
The forecast for the upcoming days suggests a dry Friday with increasing rain and snow chances Friday night into Saturday. The National Weather Service anticipates the precipitation will initially manifest as snow along the I-80 corridor, with a rain-snow mix for areas near Pittsburgh, progressing to all snow with overnight cooling. Snow coverage across the region is expected to culminate by early Saturday morning, with a gradual return to quieter and slightly cooler weather by the afternoon.
Looking further ahead, the long-term forecast holds promise for a warming trend with quiet weather conditions. All ensemble guidance agrees, at least to some extent, on building a ridge through midweek, which instills confidence in the warming projection. However, there is some uncertainty around this ridge's strength and how warm it will get. The forecast for late in the week indicates a potential 15 to 20-degree variance in temperature projections, reflecting some uncertainty in the weather pattern development.
Regarding aviation, the National Weather Service has said that MVFR stratocumulus clouds will persist throughout the day and may begin to scatter this evening, especially at ZZV. The probability of maintaining MVFR ceilings is significant, greater than 70%, at most area terminals through 00z, though these chances decrease sharply afterward, particularly at FKL/DUJ. Airlines should also prepare for continued westerly wind gusts between 20 and 30 knots due to the tight pressure gradient and active boundary layer, with precipitation and resulting restrictions expected to return late Friday through Saturday as low pressure makes its way to the south.
