It's looking to be your typical mixed bag week of Pittsburgh weather, according to the forecast. Today's an island of calm courtesy of a generous high-pressure system – although you might feel the breeze ticking up to 25 mph if you're walking the Three Rivers' banks. A low-pressure wave is set to roll in around Wednesday afternoon, bringing back some familiar rain chances for the denizens of the Steel City, per updated National Weather Service reports.
Tonight holds on to the dry spell as a surface ridge shuffles off to the east. But don't let the clear skies fool you – Wednesday is shaping up to be a wet one with a shortwave trough hailing from the Upper Midwest. It aims to throw a wet blanket over the Upper Ohio Valley region, bringing rain and gusty SW wind that could ratchet up to 35 mph. While Wind Advisory criteria seem low, some areas, especially north of Interstate 80, might see gusts pushing the 35-40 mph mark. Transitioning into the evening, temperatures on Wednesday are expected to hit about 10 degrees above average before dropping on Thursday, ushering in more seasonable cool temperatures.
If you're asking about the weekend, the forecast says to keep your umbrella close. Rain makes a comeback Friday, sticking around into Saturday as a weaker shortwave swings by. It's next week that has eyebrows raising with the suggestion of snow in the mix. When Sunday rolls around, pulling a deep trough and cold front behind it, rain could very well shift to snow with temperatures at the 850mb level plummeting to around -8 by Monday morning. Snow chances are particularly high north of Interstate 80, and yes, there could be some lake effect shenanigans at play, although details are still in the air.
Now, in terms of travel, pilots can expect a smooth ride with VFR conditions holding through Saturday. There's a note to keep in mind – a minor cold front slipping through Wednesday afternoon to evening might bring some gusts to the tarmac. Area terminals should keep tabs on possible 25-kt wind gusts, which might get a little feisty for inbounds and outbounds. Rain could nudge into the operations, but as of now, thunderstorms seem like a no-show.
