As the mercury climbs and Pittsburgh braces for a sizzling Tuesday afternoon, residents are taking note of the National Weather Service's advisory. A Heat Advisory is in full effect from noon until 8 PM EDT this evening for much of the region, including parts of Ohio and West Virginia. Temps are set to sizzle in the lower 90s, but it's the heat index near 100F that'll make it feel like walking through a thick, hot soup.
The advisory follows early morning reports of patchy dense fog in eastern Ohio, though it's expected that rising daytime temps will quickly burn it off. Despite the heat putting a cap on shower and thunderstorm development – which normally would offer a reprieve – an isolated shower or thunderstorm might still break through south and east of PGH, the probabilities of which have ticked up to around 20-30%, with Preston and Tucker counties seeing chances up to 45%, according to the National Weather Service.
Wednesday isn't looking much cooler with hot and humid conditions set to continue. Still, there is some solace in the forecast with a promise of a cold front that should usher in more widespread showers and thunderstorms through the afternoon into Thursday. It'll be a welcome change, a shift that will knock temps down to more manageable levels, with highs taking a dip into the upper 70s and lower 80s, which is, at least, a few degrees below average.
Looking ahead, as we tumble towards the weekend, the forecast grows a touch more hopeful: general troughing and high pressure over the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley are to make things significantly cooler and drier – here's to hoping that by Friday, we'll all enjoy a respite from the relentless heat and humidity that's been gripping the region; come early next week, rain chances may sneaking back into the picture, but those details still hang in the balance, as ensembles have yet to paint a clearer picture.
In the meantime, for those taking to the skies, Pittsburgh's aviary commuters can expect a smooth ride with VFR conditions dominating post-morning fog and, outside a slim chance for isolated showers south of PIT, travel should be largely unfettered through the day. However, the front above could spell influxes in precipitation and restrictions come Wednesday and Thursday.
