First Alert Weather: Severe Thunderstorm Watch issued as intense heat persists
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - It's a First Alert Weather day due to the intense heat, but now there's a possibility for some severe weather.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Western Pennsylvania, as well as parts of Ohio and West Virginia through 8 p.m.
A severe thunderstorm watch has been issued for parts of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia until 8 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/DHfabSPMNu
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) July 28, 2023
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Today will likely be the hottest day of the year in Pittsburgh so far. Highs are forecasted to be in the low 90s.
So far, Pittsburgh has only seen one 90 degree day back in early June. Humidity will be making it feel very tropical outside thanks to those dewpoints in the 70s. So it will be feeling as warm as the low 100s, especially between 2-6 p.m.
This is why there is a heat advisory in place for the afternoon.
Here are some tips to beat the heat: stay hydrated, limit time outdoors, take plenty of breaks in the shade or AC, and wear loose fitted and/or bright colored clothing. Know the dangers of this heat, and be wary of any signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke as both could easily occur in these conditions.
There are going to be some storms that fire up later this evening. The rest of the afternoon will be dry and hot.
Scattered storms will roll in for the evening commute and last into Saturday morning. These storms have the potential to contain heavy downpours with lightning. They also could turn severe, so small hail and gusty winds could occur. The rain will take up most of the morning hours tomorrow, but it will start to clear out already by the afternoon.
A cold front will push through Saturday, and this will be the relief we'll be looking for. Skies dry out for most of the next week with highs lowering back into the low 80s with much lower humidity levels.
So more comfortable weather is on the way after this heat is done!
Last year the city, or the NWS offices in Moon, hit 90 degrees just four times. The 30-year average amount of 90 degrees days is just over 10 a year.
The year 2021 was just slightly better with us hitting the 90s on five occasions. We did hit 90 degrees 20 times in 2020. The year 2018 was also an above-average year of hitting the 90s, as we hit the magic number 14 times.
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