Pittsburgh is bracing for a wintry weekend with the National Weather Service forecasting rounds of snow, cold temperatures, and gusty winds, focusing on areas north of Interstate 80 and the southwestern Pennsylvania ridges into northern West Virginia, according to a report published by the National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA.
Today's weather highlights include the tapering off of lake-effect snow showers after sunset, with potential light accumulations mainly north of I-80 and in the ridges, meanwhile, temperatures will struggle to surpass the freezing mark this afternoon then dipping into the teens and low 20s overnight—a clear indicator that winter isn't quite ready to loosen its grip on the region, with a weak shortwave expected to cross the area early Friday and increase snow chances primarily south of I-70.
The short-term forecast continues with below-average temperatures, and Friday night's temperatures remain frigid, huddling in the teens north of I-80 and slightly warmer, yet still chilly, in the low 20s further south; the weekend outlook doesn't show much reprieve with the long-range guidance indicating continued cold conditions and an Alberta Clipper potentially bringing more snow, particularly south of Pittsburgh with accumulations ranging between 2 to 4 inches, prompting advisories.
As this system moves away, it will pull in even colder air, and with daytime highs Sunday potentially not exceeding 20 degrees with ominously brisk winds, wind chills could remain in the single digits, and overnight lows might fall to single digits especially in the ridges where wind chills may plummet below zero—and an advisory highlighting the risks of such frigidity could be necessary, with similar conditions expected to persist through to Monday night before there's even a whisper of a warming trend toward the week's end.
Aviation forecasts predict VFR stratocumulus clouds with scattered snow showers today, affecting visibility, particularly north of Pittsburgh, and although tonight may see fewer snow showers, minimal visibility issues remain possible into Friday and through the weekend with a crossing cold front, another round of potential restrictions, and accumulating snowfall into early next week, which will again be accompanied by cold northwest flows and possible MVFR conditions according to the National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA.
