Residents in the Pittsburgh area might have needed to be extra cautious during their morning commute today, with forecasts predicting a mix of wintry precipitation transitioning to rain in the afternoon. According to the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, the disturbance that moved in early Tuesday could have led to hazardous travel conditions, especially in eastern Ohio, where the probability of snow, sleet, or even a light glaze of freezing rain was higher around sunrise.
The weather service had opted to issue a Special Weather Statement, highlighting the chance for isolated icy spots during the morning commute in eastern Ohio. The potential for sleet was noted to be slightly higher than that for freezing rain, which influenced their decision against a Winter Weather Advisory. Nonetheless, they did not rule out the need for such an advisory if conditions were to change and the warm air advection was to be truly underestimated, resulting in more instances of freezing rain.
Moving on to the rest of the day, rain was on the cards with varying amounts expected throughout the region. The I-80 corridor might have barely seen any significant rainfall, while areas closer to Pittsburgh anticipated totals between 0.25-0.50 inches. South of I-70, this increased to 0.50-0.80 inches, with the West Virginia ridges potentially seeing close to one inch of rain due to persistent upslope conditions.
As for air travel, the VFR will be maintained through much of the morning as per the weather service, but with the arrival of precipitation, visibility restrictions are expected to follow suit. Precipitation was thought to wind down by Tuesday evening, but IFR conditions could persist overnight. The extended forecast hinted at above-average temperatures rolling in for the weekend, but also suggested another round of rain might be on its way with yet another disturbance likely to pass through. The National Weather Service remarked on a possible drier trend on Sunday, but with the weather pattern remaining active, periodic restrictions and precipitation were expected to stick around.
