Today, Pittsburgh residents should brace themselves for a turbulent day of weather, as a strong cold front is expected to bring showers and thunderstorms, some potentially severe. The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has warned of the possibility of damaging wind, isolated tornadoes, and in certain areas, gusty wind outside of the thunderstorm activity. According to the weather update, "A low level jet max of 50-70kt at 850mb is progged as well," with the potential for "QLCS tornadoes."
For those having plans outdoors, it's advisable to rethink them as storms, barreling in from Ohio by mid morning, are slated for a late morning/early afternoon avance across Pennsylvania and northern West Virginia, with wind gusts up to 40 mph also possible outside of any storms. As the evening nears, the National Weather Service explains, following the front, "Additional showers and storms are likely with the front," though the intensity is expected to lessen. As per the NWS advisory, a Wind Advisory remains in effect until 2 PM EDT this afternoon for WVZ514.
Looking forward to the week, Pittsburghers can anticipate a shift in conditions. Rain is expected to switch to snow early Monday before returning to dry and warmer weather by Tuesday. The cool down experienced on Monday will be brief, with temperatures climbing to 10 to 15 degrees above the average by Tuesday. The brief winter encore seems to be no match for the high pressure sweeping across the region, promising clearer skies and more moderate climes.
However, the reprieve is short-lived, with rain chances mushrooming again from Wednesday night to Thursday night. The rain could mix with or change to snow late Thursday and Thursday night in cold advection behind the low. Looking further ahead, the weekend forecast suggests cooler temperatures are kicking in, although dry weather is expected to return by Friday under high pressure. Yet, showers may not be completely evaded with another weather system due to enter the scene by Saturday.
A concerning factor for air travelers is the potential impact of the severe weather on aviation through Sunday and into the week. The NWS forewarned that a deep upper-level low would create scattered lighter rain showers, with the forecast between two surface boundaries to intensify through midday. Navigational caution is recommended as varying model projections challenge precise impact predictions. By Monday morning, precipitation is expected to ease, and by 18z, a high confidence exists that VFR conditions will prevail.
