The city of Pittsburgh prepares for a brief spell of dry weather today before being swept by snowy conditions tonight, likely turning to rain by Sunday morning. The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh forecasts brief and light accumulations for most areas, though the I-80 corridor could see 3 to 4 inches of snowfall. In a statement obtained by the National Weather Service, it's expected that temperatures today will be a couple of degrees warmer than Friday, but still 10+ degrees below average.
Transitioning into Sunday, residents north of I-80 might want to keep their shovels handy as the areas are expected to receive more substantial snowfall. Generally, 2-4 is expected across Mercer, Venango, and Forest counties, with northern portions of Butler, Clarion, and Jefferson exceeding 2". Less than 2" is expected elsewhere north of Pittsburgh, with an inch to a dusting farther south," according to the National Weather Service. Despite these predictions, the service has withheld from issuing a Winter Weather Advisory, citing a downward trend and borderline criteria.
Monday is expected to provide a respite from the precipitation with dry conditions and high pressure over the Great Lakes. Nevertheless, the temperatures are anticipated to remain well below-average with highs in the 30s and lows in the 20s, the weather service advises. Looking further ahead, another system on Tuesday promises more snow, followed by additional opportunities late in the week for further wintry mix, continuing the streak of below normal temperatures.
Aviation forecasts for this weekend reflect the adverse weather, with low-end VFR stratocu spotted this morning and periods of high-end MVFR also observed north of I-80. While VFR conditions are set to prevail over the course of the day, tonight's incoming low-pressure system will likely introduce broad precipitation and increasing probabilities for MVFR to IFR restrictions. Increasing mid-level cloud cover will overspread from the west in the afternoon ahead of another approaching low-pressure system, which arrives tonight and brings widespread precipitation chances to the area as well as increasing probabilities for MVFR to IFR restrictions, the National Weather Service reported. Advisories suggest potential snow accumulation tonight, favored sites like ZZV/BVI/FKL/DUJ, before the forecasted changeover to rain the following morning.
No watches or warnings have currently been issued in Pennsylvania, Ohio, or West Virginia; appropriate measures of preparation and caution are advised for the early week as the region braces for the incoming weather changes.
