Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Issued by NWS Pittsburgh, PA
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627 FXUS61 KPBZ 290001 AFDPBZ Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 701 PM EST Fri Nov 28 2025 .SYNOPSIS... Scattered snow showers are expected to diminish in intensity and coverage tonight across northwest Pennsylvania, with additional accumulations being light. Cold temperatures and melting snow could create icy pockets on roadways overnight that drivers may need to exhibit caution. Snow will transition to rain with the next wintry system Sunday, with generally light accumulations possible in northwest Pennsylvania. More widespread snow may occur with another system Tuesday. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM SATURDAY MORNING/... KEY MESSAGES: - Snow showers will wane with only limited additional accumulations - Potential for icy patches on roadways tonight as some roads see snow melt then re-freeze --------------------------------------------------------------- Though scattered showers continue across portions of northwest PA, latest radar imagery in conjunction with the 00z sounding show the influence of increasing subsidence from building high pressure. Coverage has and will continue to thin overnight while snowfall rates diminish. Due to these trends and available model guidance suggesting any additional accumulations being fairly light, the Lake Effect Warning and Winter Weather Advisory headlines have been allowed to expire. The impacts from accumulating snowfall may be ending, but there remains some concerns for travelers tonight. There have been indications that some area roadways are developing icy patches as a result of enough snowfall that is melting but re-freezing as temperature falls. Due to the potential for icy patches, especially on elevated roads and overpasses, a Special Weather Statement was issued through midnight from far eastern OH through western PA and portions of northern WV. Please exercise caution while driving on roads that appears wet or have puddles and may be untreated. Residual cold advection help lower area temperature near the 20s to upper teens despite partly to mostly cloudy skies. Waning surface gradients (and the loss of diurnal mixing) will help lower wind speeds and ensure most locations (save for the colder eastern Tucker climate) see wind chills only in the teens. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... KEY MESSAGES: - Snow returns Saturday night. - Transition to rain Sunday morning/afternoon. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Heading into the day on Saturday, mainly scattered cloud cover through the morning is expected to increase through the day as the next low pressure system develops over the Upper MS Valley and shifts east across the area. Precipitation chances will increase Saturday night with increased moisture in place and sfc low pressure associated with a digging upper trough crosses into the Ohio Valley Saturday evening and overnight At this time, the highest chances look to be overnight into Sunday morning, ahead of the associated cold front progged to cross during the afternoon. Thermal profiles will initially support all snow at onset before a transition to rain through the morning. Light snow will likely resume behind the cold front Sunday evening along the I-80 corridor before winding down overnight. Probabilities for an inch or two of snow are highest north and west of PGH as those areas should see enhanced lift under the left exit region of the upper jet. Probabilities for Advisory level snow remain less than 40% at this time for those same mentioned areas. Strong warm advection will push highs back into the 40s early afternoon, but will then drop over the course of the afternoon behind the front. Overnight lows will be in the 20s. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... KEY MESSAGES: - Largely dry Monday - Snow and rain return Tuesday - Below normal temperatures ------------------------------------------------------------------- The active pattern continues next week with yet another chance for snow as a shortwave crosses the Great Lakes and a Southeast US surface low tracks up the coast. Precipitation chances return later Monday night and Tuesday, exiting by Tuesday night. Some uncertainty in precipitation type continues as a result of differing warm advection strength. Ensembles have generally favored a colder solution, but will maintain a mention of rain and snow given uncertainty and propensity for under-forecasting warm advection. Dry weather should return Wednesday with weak ridging and building sfc high pressure, before minor snow chances return Thursday with the next frontal system. Temperatures will be below average through the period. && .AVIATION /00Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Broad cyclonic flow around a mid-level closed low centered just north of Maine has continued to provide favorable northwest flow with cold air over the lakes for lake effect snow showers. These have been more cellular in nature this evening bringing temporary restrictions to IFR vis within the heavier showers. Conditions outside of snow showers have been VFR with a mid- level BKN to OVC cloud deck. Headed into tonight, expect that increasing subsidence from approaching high pressure to our southwest will cut off the depth of the moisture and dissipate snow showers south of I-80. VFR conditions will prevail overnight at all sites, save FKL/DUJ, with the mid-level cloud deck slowly breaking up and wind diminishing to around 5-10 knots overnight. For FKL/DUJ, expect that BKN to OVC ceilings will hover right around 3kft with some lake effect snow showers able to hang on through midnight or so and bringing temporary MVFR/IFR restrictions. Improvement back to low-end VFR is favored after that, but northwest flow will still keep the highest cloud coverage at those two sites. VFR continues for most of Saturday as wind backs from the west to ultimately southeast throughout the day but generally remains light around 5 knots. Increasing cloud coverage will overspread from the west in the afternoon ahead of approaching low pressure. Outlook... The next low pressure system arrives early Saturday night, creating widespread precipitation chances with increasing probability for on MVFR to IFR restrictions Saturday night through Sunday morning. Thermal profiles suggest initial precipitation may fall as snow and have some potential for accumulation (favoring ZZV/BVI/FKL/DUJ) before warm advection aides in a changeover to rain. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...None. OH...None. WV...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Rackley NEAR TERM...Frazier SHORT TERM...88 LONG TERM...88 AVIATION...MLB