889  
FXUS61 KPBZ 301718  
AFDPBZ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA  
118 PM EDT WED SEP 30 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
RAIN CHANCES FOR THE WEEKEND CONTINUE TO GRADUALLY SHIFT  
SOUTHWARD, OTHERWISE NO MAJOR CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE LATEST  
FORECAST.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
1) SHOWER CHANCES TONIGHT NORTH OF PITTSBURGH, THEN DRY AND WARM  
THURSDAY. SHOWERS RETURN WITH A FRIDAY COLD FRONT.  
 
2) COOLER AND MAINLY DRY FROM THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...  
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL MAINTAIN DRY WEATHER INTO THIS  
EVENING. MUCH OF THE AREA SHOULD REMAIN DRY TONIGHT, THOUGH A  
WEAK SHORTWAVE IS PROGGED TO ADVANCE EASTWARD TONIGHT, CROSSING  
THE LOWER GREAT LAKES REGION. THIS WAVE, AND WARM ADVECTION,  
SHOULD PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS FOR AREA NORTH OF PIT  
OVERNIGHT.  
 
RIDGING IS EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN AGAIN ACROSS THE UPPER OHIO  
VALLEY REGION ON THURSDAY, AHEAD OF A TROUGH APPROACHING FROM  
THE MIDWEST. DRY AND WARM WEATHER IS EXPECTED, WITH HIGHS AROUND  
10 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE.  
 
THE SHORTWAVE, AND AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE COLD FRONT, IS EXPECTED  
TO APPROACH AND CROSS THE REGION ON FRIDAY. THE PROGRESSION OF  
THE FRONT HAS INCREASED SOME, RESULTING IN A FASTER ARRIVAL OF  
CLOUD COVER AND SHOWERS. THIS WILL FURTHER LIMIT ANY POSSIBLE  
DESTABILIZATION. SHEAR DOES INCREASE WITH FASTER FLOW ALOFT,  
THOUGH ML CAPE IS PROGGED TO REMAIN BELOW 250 J/KG. THIS SHOULD  
LIMIT NOT ONLY THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL, BUT THE OVERALL  
CHANCES FOR THUNDER. SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED THOUGH, WITH THE AREA  
IN THE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION TO AN UPPER JET. GENERALLY EXPECTED  
1/4 TO 1/2 INCH OF RAIN WITH THE FRONT, WITH NBM PROBABILITIES  
FOR AN INCH OF RAIN AT 20 PERCENT OR LESS.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...  
MODEL ENSEMBLES INDICATE BROAD UPPER TROUGHING SHOULD PERSIST  
ACROSS THE NE CONUS FROM THE WEEKEND INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT  
WEEK. A SOUTHERN STREAM SHORTWAVE COULD BRING A FEW SHOWERS TO  
AREAS SOUTH OF PIT ON SUNDAY, OTHERWISE MAINLY DRY AND  
SEASONABLY COOL WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD AS  
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS UNDER THE BROAD TROUGH BY EARLY  
NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST FOR MOST OF THE TAF PERIOD AS HIGH  
PRESSURE RIDGING IS FORECAST. MOSTLY SCATTERED CUMULUS MAY  
CONTINUE TO PROVIDED AN OCCASIONAL MVFR CEILING AT DUJ THIS  
AFTERNOON. SOUTHERLY WIND OF 5 TO 10 KNOTS PERSISTS THROUGH  
SUNSET.  
 
MAINLY MID AND UPPER CLOUDS ARE FORECAST TONIGHT, WHICH SHOULD  
HELP TO KEEP FOG LESS WIDESPREAD AS COMPARED TO THIS MORNING.  
CLOUDS MAY BE THIN ENOUGH TO ALLOW SOME DEVELOPMENT NEAR ZZV AND  
MGW TOWARDS SUNRISE THOUGH, AND HAVE USED TEMPOS FOR THIS. IN  
ADDITION, A WEAK SHORTWAVE RIDING ON TOP OF THE RIDGE MAY  
PRODUCE SCATTERED SHOWERS NORTH OF I-80 OVERNIGHT. PROB30 GROUPS  
WERE USED AT FKL AND DUJ.  
 
PAST SUNRISE, VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE AS THE RIDGE INTENSIFIES A  
BIT. SOUTHWEST WIND AROUND 10 KNOTS IS FORECAST WITH THE ONSET  
OF DIURNAL MIXING.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
RESTRICTIONS IN SHOWERS ARE LIKELY WITH A FRIDAY COLD FRONT.  
RESTRICTIONS ARE POSSIBLE SOUTH OF I-70 SATURDAY, AND ACROSS THE  
REMAINDER OF THE AREA SUNDAY, WITH CROSSING DISTURBANCES.  
 
 
   
PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
PA...NONE.  
OH...NONE.  
WV...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...WM  
AVIATION...CL  
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