Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Pittsburgh, PA

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847 FXUS61 KPBZ 101708 AFDPBZ Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 108 PM EDT Fri May 10 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A lingering disturbance will keep showers over the area today. Cooler conditions are anticipated over the weekend with a shift in the synoptic pattern from the northwest. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/...
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KEY MESSAGES: - Showers chances continue into today. - High temperatures 5-7 degrees below normal. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Low and mid level drier air is noted on water vapor satellite intruding into northern Ohio and will continue to slowly advect in as mid level flow backs more west of north through the afternoon. Latest hi res ensemble timing indicates the mid afternoon hours (after 3pm) as the most likely time for rain chances to begin to diminish, though it may be as early as 1pm if dry air advances a bit quicker. Probability of higher rainfall amounts (0.25 inches to 0.45 inches) will generally be focused east and southeast of Pittsburgh due to orographic lift. Elsewhere, showers will only amount to less than quarter of an inch. Temperatures today will be a good 5 to 7 degrees below normal.
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&& .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... KEY MESSAGES: - Below average temperatures are expected with northerly flow. - Thunderstorms chances return Saturday afternoon. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Ridging over eastern Ohio Friday night into early Saturday is expected to decrease precipitation. Temperatures will remain cooler than average under northerly flow. By late morning Saturday, a new fast moving shortwave dives southeast from the Great Lakes and returns showers and isolated thunderstorms to the region. While a few storms could be considered strong, the still cooler conditions will only yield MUCAPE values between 400J/kg to 600J/kg. The trough is expected to slow and hang up as the surface low center crosses upstate NY and become impeded by ridging to the east. This will serve to keep precip over the area through the day on Saturday and even Saturday night. Temperatures are still expected to be 5 to 7 degrees below normal through the upcoming weekend. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... KEY MESSAGES: - Cooler temperatures arrive by late week with highs in the 60s this weekend. - Rain and thunderstorms are expected to return Tuesday/Wednesday. - Severe storm potential remains low. ------------------------------------------------------------------- A few light showers may remain along the ridge line early Sunday as a trough exits east. Otherwise, dry and quiet weather return for a majority of the day with building high pressure. Temperatures will be near or slightly below average, depending on have fast the clouds clear from the west. Warmer than average temperatures Monday and will continue into Wednesday as a slow moving low ejects out of the Great Plains and reinforces southwest flow. As high pressure breaks down off the Mid-Atlantic, showers and thunderstorms chances increase Tuesday and Wednesday. The Day 7 forecast sets the stage for much inconsistency as plenty of ensemble members provide a diurnal trend to the precip chances. Some setup high pressure and dry conditions for Thursday next week. The NBM keep afternoon maxima of pops but will keep the low chance probability. Long range models at the moment project a low probability of severe storms given weak shear and instability. && .AVIATION /17Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
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Light rain showers, increasing in coverage between 18z-22z, rising cig heights are expected through this evening. Intrusion of drier air as low pressure exits east will erode showers and cigs during the early evening hours, resulting in areawide VFR conditions. The combination of residual boundary layer moisture, some cig deck clearing, and light wind may promote fog formation during the pre-dawn hours Saturday morning. Highest probabilities are along the higher terrain east/southeast of KPIT where daytime showers will linger longest and drier air will be late on arrival (KMGW/KLBE/KDUJ). A cold front will approach from the NW at the end of the TAF period, producing a swath of light rain showers with low probability for thunder. .Outlook... Additional restrictions are likely in conjunction with the mentioned showers and low probability thunderstorms above. Scattered light rain showers will linger into Saturday night as the upper trough axis crosses. VFR returns Sunday and Monday under high pressure, before low pressure returns restriction and precipitation potential on Tuesday.
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&& .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...None. OH...None. WV...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Shallenberger NEAR TERM...MLB/Shallenberger SHORT TERM...Shallenberger LONG TERM...Hefferan/Shallenberger AVIATION...Frazier