716 FXUS61 KPBZ 171659 AFDPBZArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 1259 PM EDT Wed Sep 17 2025
.SYNOPSIS... High pressure will maintain warm and mostly dry weather into the upcoming weekend. Rain chances return to the forecast next week, though the chance for widespread wetting rain remains low.
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.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... KEY MESSAGES:
- Isolated higher elevation showers end this afternoon; dry tonight - Continued above-normal temperatures - Areas of fog possible late tonight, especially in valleys ---------------------------------------------------------------
Vertically-stacked low pressure over eastern Virginia continues to spin mainly mid and upper-level moisture into our eastern counties today, resulting mainly in some cloud cover. Light radar returns near the Laurels and northern WV ridges are likely not reaching the ground in many cases, although sprinkles or light rain showers will remain possible into mid-afternoon on a very isolated basis. There should a minor east-to-west gradient with afternoon high temperatures. Values around 5 or so degrees above normal are forecast to the south and east of Pittsburgh with the clouds, while values around 10 degrees above average will be seen in eastern Ohio.
The low will lift along the Atlantic Seaboard later today and tonight, degrading into an open wave over the northeast CONUS by 12Z Thursday. Most of the cloud cover will pull off with the system, leaving a mostly clear evening and overnight period. The combination of clear sky, light wind, and lingering surface- based moisture should lead to a round of at least valley-based fog overnight, and the HREF is showing a decent signal for some locations east of Pittsburgh, with 40-50 percent probability of 0.5 mile or less visibility. Good radiational cooling conditions should lead to low temperatures close to climatology.
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.SHORT TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/... KEY MESSAGES:
- Mostly dry weather and above-normal temperatures continue --------------------------------------------------------------
The departing trough kicks off of the New England coast on Thursday. Meanwhile, the blocking ridge centered over the lower Mississippi Valley/western Great Lakes today makes slow eastward progress with time and sets up shop over the Middle and Upper Ohio Valley by Friday. At the surface, a weak boundary will likely settle into our region before stalling out. A few model solutions actually spit out some light QPF with this front Friday/Friday night. The NBM carries sub-15 PoPs through Friday night for now, and will ride with that given the dry airmass that needs to be overcome, as well as the dearth of support. Perhaps some minimal precipitation mention might be needed once higher-res CAMs get a hold of the front. So, the forecast continues the extended run of dry weather through Friday night.
Warm temperatures are forecast across the board Thursday with plenty of sun and building heights, with widespread highs in the lower and middle 80s. Highs will be a little more subdued north of US-422 on Friday behind the front, backing off to the upper 70s/around 80, while highs to the south remain around 10 degrees above normal. Similar trends will be seen with overnight lows, although they will be a bit closer to climatology.
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.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... KEY MESSAGES:
- Still mostly dry and warmer than normal through the weekend - Slight uptick in rain chances next week - Temperatures remain above normal Monday through Wednesday, albeit with a slight downward trend ------------------------------------------------------------------
Despite the frontal boundary wavering in our region, a largely dry pattern is forecast for Saturday as the upper ridge axis crosses, with high temperatures similar to Friday. However, there is a bit better potential for a light shower or two in the ridges southeast of Pittsburgh, with better indications of moisture and modest low-level convergence. Still, chances of a wetting rain from this activity remain under 15 percent, so any meaningful dent in the developing drought is unlikely.
Ensembles/cluster analysis continue to show a slower trend with the progress of the next upstream trough, with the axis progressing from the Upper Mississippi Valley on Sunday to just the Western/Central Great Lakes by Tuesday. Some solutions even suggest the development of a cutoff upper low somewhere over the eastern Plains. This trend, in turn, results in just a slow increase to minimal PoPs, with slight chance values northwest of Pittsburgh Sunday night/Monday, before eventually overspreading the area Tuesday/Wednesday. QPF expectations are not high. The NBM shows a 40-60 percent chance of 0.10" or more during the 72-hour period ending at 12Z Thursday. With increasing rainfall deficits, we will need healthier precipitation totals to put a better dent in the dryness.
Overall, above-normal temperatures continue to be the expectation through the middle of next week. Still, with the slowly falling heights and increasing cloud cover potential, a modest downward trend is the most likely scenario. The 25th-75th percentile spreads do increase through this period, indicating increasing uncertainty in the ultimate values. This is reasonable given the range of potential solutions with the upstream trough.
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.AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... A Mid-Atlantic coastal low will advect enough moisture eastward to create periods of scattered to broken mid and high level clouds, favoring above 5kft. Otherwise, surface high pressure and light easterly flow is expected to maintain VFR through the majority of the TAF period.
Hi-res modeling shows a signal of fog potential Thursday morning, favoring areas east of I-79 and some river valleys. Ensemble data suggests restrictions are more likely tied to visibility reductions (30-40% probabilities of less than half mile visibilities between 08z-12z) with a lower likelihood of stratus development (20-30% probabilities for IFR cigs). This is due to the combination of residual surface moisture inflating area dew points and evacuation of mid/high level clouds that (combined with stagnant wind) better results in strong radiational cooling. Onset of sunrise and mixing should quickly dissipate any fog/stratus by 14z Thursday.
.OUTLOOK.... VFR is favored under the influence of high pressure with localized river valley morning fog through Saturday. The exception is increasing probabilities for a weak cold front sagging into northwest PA Friday morning that may lead to MVFR cigs (30-50% likelihood at FKL/DUJ).
Approach of an upper level shortwave may foster low probability rain/sprinkle chances Sunday/Monday favoring locations NW of Pittsburgh, but VFR is likely to persist.
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.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...None. OH...None. WV...None.
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SYNOPSIS...CL NEAR TERM...CL SHORT TERM...CL LONG TERM...CL AVIATION...Frazier
NWS PBZ Office Area Forecast Discussion