Rain turns to snow on Friday in Pittsburgh as falling temperatures bring back winter conditions
Strong wind gusts have already impacted the Upper Ohio Valley through the overnight and predawn hours of Friday morning. Wind gusts have topped as high as 62mph in Wheeling, West Virginia, 55mph in Latrobe, and 45 mph in Pittsburgh.
The wind direction has shifted to the west in the wake of a strong cold front, which is allowing temperatures to steadily drop.
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Temperatures in Pittsburgh should fall below freezing around 10 a.m. - 11 p.m. and the rest of the day will remain in the 20s with snow showers and gusty winds.
Total snowfall amounts will be fairly light as conditions are not very favorable for growing big snowflakes like we saw last week.
A majority of our area will receive 1" or less, with 1-2" along and north of I-80 and the westward-facing slopes/peaks of the Laurel Highlands and Ridges. Despite the snowfall amounts being light, any water that does not dry up from the rainfall this morning could result in some icy spots, so be careful with that if you're traveling this afternoon and evening.
Snow showers will diminish between 6 p.m. and midnight, and winds will decrease as high pressure moves in.
Saturday morning will begin fairly cold with lows in the mid-teens to near 20, but a southwest wind through the day will allow for temperatures to recover to the low to mid-40s by late afternoon into the evening, along with increased cloud cover. These clouds will be associated with another disturbance and a strong cold front.
Sunday's high in the low 40s will occur early in the day, with most of the afternoon and evening hours spent in the 20s to low 30s. Some flurries or light snow showers are possible, especially north of I-80 toward Lake Erie.
The surge of cold air for early next week won't last long as temperatures are anticipated to steadily warm as the weak front progresses. A weak disturbance passing through the region Monday night into Tuesday will lead to some light precipitation.
Some of this may begin as a light wintry mix or pockets of freezing rain early Tuesday morning, but warm air advection should result in mostly light rain and drizzle for the rest of the day. High temperatures by Christmas Eve into Christmas Day will reach the low 40s to even the low 50s.
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