The Pittsburgh area should keep its winter coats handy, as the forecast promises another stretch of below-normal temperatures and periodic snow through the coming week. The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, PA, reports that while a weak mid-level shortwave will pass through today, bringing a chance of light snow showers mainly north and east of Pittsburgh, little to no accumulations are expected.
The cold doesn't plan to let up anytime soon, with highs in the mid-30s today and lows tonight in the mid-to-upper 20s. Temperatures will continue to trend below seasonal norms. Looking ahead to Sunday, another disturbance is forecast to bring minor snowfall accumulations to areas north of Pittsburgh and in the ridges. Elsewhere, a rain/snow mix is expected, though with little accumulation expected, according to the National Weather Service. A cold front arriving by Sunday night should plunge temperatures further, with lows projected to drop into the teens north of Pittsburgh and the low 20s elsewhere.
As for the week ahead, the pattern remains largely unchanged with a series of disturbances potentially ushering in more winter weather mid and late week. Tuesday into Wednesday will introduce a strong and progressive low-pressure system that could alter precipitation type to rainfall for regions south of I-80, thus limiting snowfall accumulation potential, as outlined by meteorologists with the National Weather Service.
Thursday could bring a brief respite between systems, though the forecast indicates some likelihood of persistent weak showers in the ridges. Attention is already turning towards a late-week system anticipated to move southeast from the Canadian Rockies and across the Ohio Valley, which will be the more interesting one to watch, per the National Weather Service's discussion. This disturbance, depending on its track and strength, could mean a greater threat of impactful winter weather for the Pittsburgh area.
In terms of aviation, travelers might encounter low MVFR conditions early today, but these are expected to improve to VFR as the day progresses. However, VFR windows might be short-lived due to the incoming shortwave prompting an MVFR stratocu deck and lower probability light snow showers, especially at airports like FKL and DUJ. This forecast pattern, which alternates between precipitation chances and predominantly snowy conditions, could lead to persistent MVFR-IFR restrictions at area ports throughout the upcoming week.
