Pittsburgh residents can anticipate a mix of weather patterns heading into the weekend, according to the latest forecasts. Dry conditions are likely to hold up through Saturday under the influence of high pressure, but a looming cold front is expected to shake things up by Sunday with possible showers and thunderstorms, accompanied by gusty winds. This information comes courtesy of the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, which released its area forecast discussion early this morning.
The same report indicates today should see an uptick in cloud coverage by the afternoon, with temperatures hanging around the season's norm. The city experienced a cold night with temperatures dropping into the 30s, enough to spur widespread frost development and trigger frost and freeze advisories in the region. The approaching weak warm front may bring a few light showers, especially north and east of the city late Friday night, although any rainfall is expected to be minimal.
As the weekend rolls in, a significant warm-up is on the cards, with the mercury set to soar to the mid to upper 70s by Saturday. However, it's not all clear skies ahead. That strong cold front projected to hit on Sunday promises to bring not just rain and winds but also a potential for thunderstorms. Latest probabilities for max wind gusts exceeding 30 mph on Sunday have increased notably across the entire area by 80-100%, while probabilities for max gusts exceeding 40 mph have followed the same trend up to 40-70%, states the National Weather Service.
In the aftermath of Sunday's expected turbulence, next week welcomes cooler weather and periodic rain chances for the first half. Forecast confidence dwindles as we look further into next week, with ensembles divided on whether a trough will stall and deepen into an upper low or move offshore as an open wave. This discrepancy could influence rain chances and the duration of cooler temperatures early in the week. However, high pressure is foreseen to eventually prevail, potentially bringing drier conditions.
Aviators should enjoy mostly clear skies through mid-afternoon Friday with VFR conditions expected across the region. However, the approach of a low-pressure system come Sunday is likely to instigate widespread precipitation and cause reductions in visibility and ceiling height, along with increased surface winds and possible severe thunderstorms by mid-afternoon.
For those keeping an eye on the temperature gauges and the skies, frost and freeze advisories remain in effect until 9 AM EDT this morning, as detailed in the warnings issued by the National Weather Service. So while the day may start cold, Pittsburghers can look forward to a brief respite of warmer weather before bundling up against another potential bout of gusty showers by week's end.
