There's nothing more than an isolated chance for rain over the next week in the Pittsburgh area.

Any Alert Days Ahead?  No

Aware: Today will be the area's 10th straight day with no rain.

We need rain, and unfortunately, there is not much in the way of rain expected over the next week.  Before we get to the forecast, let's set the table. So far this month, we have seen just 0.39" of rain. This puts us 1.28" behind the monthly pace for rain.  Today will be the 10th day without recording any rain, and we have seen rain on just two days so far this month.  One of those days we saw just 0.01" at the airport. Today is also the data cut-off for US Drought Monitor maps. Last week saw a return of severe drought conditions to parts of the area, and with no rain across the area over the previous week, look for a massive expansion of severe drought conditions when new maps come out on Thursday morning. Severe drought conditions are a level 3 out of the 5 levels of drought that the US Drought Monitor issues per week.  The 4th and 5th levels bring a fairly high impact to areas under them, so let's hope we don't start getting into those categories. Clearly, we need rain.

Sadly rain remains elusive, with nothing more than an isolated rain chance coming over the next week.  We may be looking at a historic stretch of 17-22 days in a row with no measurable rain in our area.  Even though today is going to be the 10th day in a row without rain, getting to more than 15 days without rain in Pittsburgh is VERY rare, occurring just 51 times in records since 1870. 16 days or more has happened just 43 times.  Twenty days in a row?  Just 15 times. 

Over the next week, our best chance for rain comes from a weak boundary that works its way through our area next Tuesday, September 23rd. I also stick in a small 20 percent rain chance over the weekend due to a couple of ripples that will sweep through due to a short wave well to our north over the weekend.  The chances for seeing rain from either of these events remains isolated, meaning most, if not everyone, will remain dry. Model data hints at our next good chance to see rain happening NEXT weekend. This would mean no rain for more than 20 days in a row in Pittsburgh. Not great.

While we wait, the weather will be nice. High temperatures will be in the mid to low 80s over the next week.  This is a good 10 degrees or so warmer than the 30-year average. Morning temperatures will hover near 60°, just around five degrees warmer than average. I have today's high hitting 83 degrees. 

Skies today will be partly cloudy due to a mid-level low situated just off the East Coast. If traveling to Baltimore, Washington DC, Harrisburg or Philly there is at least a chance for rain. 

Back to today, I have noon temperatures right there at 80 degrees.

WEATHER LINKS:

Current Conditions | School Closings & Delays | Submit Your Weather Photos