Pittsburgh woke up wet on Wednesday, with light rain, thick fog, temperatures stuck in the mid 50s, and visibility trimmed to just a few miles in spots. Showers are expected to hang on through the morning commute before easing to mostly cloudy skies by midday, with a high near 61°F. Drivers should plan on slick ramps and slower traffic on bridges and in low-lying areas where water tends to collect.
Morning Forecast
The steadiest rain is expected before noon, with most spots picking up roughly a tenth to a quarter inch of new rainfall, and locally higher totals north of the city. Winds will flip from southerly this morning to northwest around 10 mph by afternoon, which will help shove the bulk of the showers off to the east. According to the National Weather Service, the rain should mostly clear by later in the day, with a stretch of drier, cooler weather settling in for Thursday and Friday.
Visibility And Travel
Local forecasts warn that the combination of steady morning rain and fog will chew away at visibility and lead to ponding on roadways, especially on bridge decks and low-lying ramps. Leave extra time for the commute, go easy on the gas in heavier pockets of rain and keep an eye out for standing water that can sneak up on you. As reported by WPXI, this midweek rain is also ushering in a cooler air mass.
Short Term Outlook
Behind today’s system, a brief dose of drier, cooler weather moves in for Thursday and Friday. Forecasters note a low chance of frost tonight, with a greater frost risk Friday morning over the higher terrain north of Pittsburgh, so gardeners may want to cover up any sensitive plants. Showers are expected to return late Friday and linger into the weekend, with Sunday looking warm and unsettled. Isolated heavier downpours could pop up, but widespread totals over an inch are not anticipated.
Early in the day, low cloud ceilings and reduced visibility could affect both flights and commute times. Conditions are forecast to improve by tonight, according to the National Weather Service.
