Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Issued by NWS Pittsburgh, PA
613 FXUS61 KPBZ 041133 AFDPBZ Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 633 AM EST Wed Nov 4 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... Minor changes to timing of rain were made today and tonight, with minor adjustments to the weekend forecast. && .KEY MESSAGES... 1) Warm today, then rain returns this afternoon and evening into early Thursday. 2) Cooler Friday into the weekend && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1... A closed low will continue to drift across the Upper Midwest today. Southerly flow ahead of this trough, and mixing, should result in high temperatures around 15 to 25 degrees above average, with the warmest readings across PA and nrn WV. Some sites could approach record highs before clouds thicken through the day ahead of an approaching shortwave. This shortwave (and associated cold front,) ahead of the main upper low, will approach the region in SW flow aloft this afternoon, crossing the region this evening into early Thursday. Moisture and ascent with the wave, assisted by a jet aloft, should result in rain overspreading the region from W-E this afternoon through this evening. A low level jet and minimal elevated instability could also result in an isolated thunderstorm. Rainfall amounts are expected to range from 0.25 to 0.5 inches for most areas. Low end QPF (10th percentile) is around 0.10, with high end amounts (90th percentile) around 0.8 inches. The shortwave and surface front should exit the region Thursday morning, with decreasing rain chances. Temperatures will be cooler than recent days, though still around 10 degrees above average. KEY MESSAGE 2... Model ensembles indicate the upper low will open into a trough Thursday, as it tracks across the Great Lakes region. Another deepening upper low is then progged to drop SE through the trough, reaching the Great Lakes region again on Friday. This low should continue eastward across the Upper Ohio Valley region through Saturday. This should spread areas of rain across the region again later Friday into Saturday. 850 mb temperatures are also progged to drop to between 0 and -2 deg C during this time according to the latest ensembles. This should bring temperature back down to near seasonable levels over the weekend. && .AVIATION /12Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Mid and upper clouds will continue to increase this morning ahead of an approaching shortwave trough and surface cold front. The front should slowly cross the region between late evening and Thursday morning. Rain will overspread the region this afternoon and evening ahead of the front, with ceilings and visibilities falling into the MVFR category from west to east. Rain and MVFR/patchy IFR restrictions are likely to continue overnight with the crossing front, with MVFR ceilings hanging on even as the rain starts to end towards sunrise. Outlook... Restrictions should continue into early Thursday as the front completes its passage. After some improvement later Thursday into Friday, restriction and rain potential returns later Friday through Saturday with a crossing upper trough. Cold NW flow behind the trough could maintain ceiling restrictions into Sunday. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...None. OH...None. WV...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...WM AVIATION...CL/WM