Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS

Current Version | Previous Version | Text Only | Print | Product List | Glossary Off
Versions: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50
-- Highlight Changed Discussion --
-- Discussion containing changed information from previous version are highlighted. --
000 FXUS61 KPBZ 171939 AFDPBZ AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 339 PM EDT FRI MAY 17 2013 .SYNOPSIS... STALLED FRONT WILL FLUCTUATE LITTLE TODAY THROUGH MOST OF SATURDAY KEEPING MOST OF THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SOUTH. FRONT WILL SHIFT NORTHWARD SUNDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH SATURDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
FRONTAL BOUNDARY THAT WAS MUCH MORE APPARENT THIS MORNING HAS BECOME A BIT MORE WASHED OUT THIS AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...LOOKING AT THE MESOANALYSIS...SOME INSTABILITY...WEAK SHEAR...AND HIGHER DEWPOINTS STILL REMAIN OVER PORTIONS OVER THE REGION. THIS IS PUSHING A BIT FURTHER SOUTH BUT A FEW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP IN THIS MORE SUPPORTIVE AREA WITH HELP FROM DIVERGENCE FROM A DEPARTING UPPER LEVEL JET. FOR NOW...GENERALLY KEPT POPS TIED TO THE RIDGES WHERE A FEW CELLS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED BUT LOW END CHANCE MAY NEED TO BE INTRODUCED ELSEWHERE. THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SUGGEST...WITH SOME TIMING DIFFERENCES...THAT THE BOUNDARY WILL ONCE AGAIN FLUCTUATE ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY. THE BIGGEST QUESTION WILL BE THE NORTHERN EXTENT OF LIFT FROM AN APPROACHING SHORTWAVE THAT IS PROGGED TO REACH THE REGION IN THE AFTERNOON. EACH OF THE DETERMINISTIC MODELS HANDLES THIS DIFFERENTLY...THUS NOTHING MORE THAN CHANCE POPS WERE ADDED SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WITH MORE CLOUD COVER EXPECTED SATURDAY...TEMPERATURES WERE KEPT A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN TODAY.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .SHORT TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
THE BOUNDARY SHOULD MAKE IT`S FINAL PUSH NORTHWARD BY SATURDAY NIGHT/SUNDAY LEADING TO BETTER MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM. HOWEVER SHORTWAVE TIMING AND PLACEMENT CONTINUES TO DIFFER OWING TO LOWER CONFIDENCE IN THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE. SO CHANCE POPS WERE CONTINUED...MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOONS BOTH SUNDAY AND MONDAY. STRENGTHENING SOUTHERLY FLOW SHOULD ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO WARM EACH DAY...EVEN IF THERE IS CLOUD COVER SO HIGHS IN THE LOWER 80`S WERE INTRODUCED BY MONDAY AFTERNOON.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...
-- Changed Discussion --
UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL CONTINUE TO AMPLIFY OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CONUS AS A CUTOFF LOW DEVELOPS OVER THE NORTHERN PLAINS. THIS LOW WILL SLOWLY MAKE IT`S APPROACH THROUGH THE PERIOD...HELPING TO SWING AN ASSOCIATED FRONT ACROSS THE REGION BY LATE WEDNESDAY/EARLY THURSDAY. HOWEVER...DIFFERENCES STILL REMAIN IN THE AMOUNT OF CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY THERE WILL BE IN THE WARM SECTOR TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AS DIFFERENT SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW ARE TIMED DIFFERENTLY FROM RUN TO RUN. TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THESE DIFFERENCES...OPTED TO REMAIN CONSERVATIVE WITH POPS UNTIL LATE TUESDAY BEFORE INCREASING CHANCES IMMEDIATELY AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT. TEMPERATURES WERE KEPT NEAR MOS/HPC GUIDANCE BUT AMPLE MOISTURE AND CLOUD COVER COULD KEEP TEMPERATURES FROM REACHING THE MID 80`S SUGGESTED.
-- End Changed Discussion --
&& .AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... WEAK SOUTHEAST FLOW WILL BRING INCREASING LOW LEVEL MOISTURE OVERNIGHT. SCATTERED CUMULUS THIS AFTERNOON WILL CLEAR AFTER SUNSET. THE GOOD RADIATIONAL COOLING OVERNIGHT WILL BRING SOME PATCHY FOG FOR THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. SOME SCATTERED TO BROKEN CU WILL FORM AGAIN ON SATURDAY WITH THE HEATING OF THE DAY WITH JUST A CHANCE OF SHOWERS...MAINLY AT THE SOUTHERN PORTS. SOME BRIEF RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE SHOWERS OR ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS. .OUTLOOK.../SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... GENERAL VFR WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. THERE WILL BE AN INCREASING RISK OF SHOWERS AND SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS. SOME RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE HEAVIER SHOWERS. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...NONE. OH...NONE. PA...NONE. WV...NONE. && $$

USA.gov is the U.S. government's official web portal to all federal, state and local government web resources and services.