283  
FXUS61 KPBZ 222338  
AFDPBZ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA  
738 PM EDT TUE APR 22 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
PRECIPITATION CHANCES REMAIN LOW THROUGH LATE THURSDAY UNDER  
HIGH PRESSURE. SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES INCREASE FRIDAY  
INTO SATURDAY. ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES EXPECTED INTO THE  
WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING/
 
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- DRY AND QUIET WEATHER INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
 
7:30PM UPDATE: NO MAJOR CHANGES MADE DURING THIS FORECAST  
PERIOD.  
 
PREVIOUS UPDATE:  
 
CLEAR SKY AND LIGHT WINDS OVERNIGHT SHOULD GIVE US OUR COOLEST  
NIGHT IN SEVERAL DAYS. HOWEVER, LOW TEMPERATURES ARE STILL  
LIKELY TO BE NEAR/SLIGHTLY ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR  
WITH AN ENHANCED RIDGE AXIS OVER THE EAST COAST.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /6 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- DRY WEATHER THROUGH THURSDAY  
- WARMING TEMPERATURES BOTH WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
 
SUBTLE 500MB HEIGHT RISES ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY AS A DISJOINTED  
UPPER RIDGE SLIDES ACROSS SOUTHERN ONTARIO. THIS WILL RETURN A  
WARMING TREND TO THE REGION, HELPING TO KICK OUR HIGH  
TEMPERATURES BACK UP TO AROUND 10 DEGREES ABOVE AVERAGE.  
 
FURTHER 500MB HEIGHT RISES ARE EXPECTED DURING THE DAYTIME ON  
THURSDAY AS THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THIS DISJOINTED UPPER RIDGE  
STRENGTHENS OVER US. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO SURGE  
PAST 80 DEGREES FOR MUCH OF THE AREA (LARGELY OVER 60% CHANCE  
SOUTH OF I-80 AND LARGELY OVER 90% CHANCE SOUTH OF I-70). NBM  
PROBABILITIES FOR 85 DEGREES OR MORE ARE ALSO NOTABLE, WITH SOME  
HOT SPOTS BETWEEN 40- 60+% MAINLY TIED TO THE RIVER VALLEYS  
SOUTH OF I-70. SOME OF THESE PROBABILITIES SNEAK INTO THE  
GREATER PITTSBURGH AREA AS WELL. HELPING THIS, NBM MEAN CLOUD  
COVER IS PRETTY SCANT AND EVEN A REASONABLE CLOUDIEST SCENARIO  
(90TH PERCENTILE) STILL HAS LARGE SWATHS OF THE REGION LARGELY  
CLOUD FREE.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
KEY MESSAGES:  
 
- INCREASING SHOWER CHANCES LATE WEEK INTO SATURDAY  
- TROUGH SPEED WILL DETERMINE TIMING OF RETURN TO ABOVE AVERAGE  
TEMPS  
-------------------------------------------------------------------  
 
AN UPPER TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO BE MOVING EASTWARD THROUGH THE  
CENTRAL CONUS ON THURSDAY. INCREASING MOISTURE AND WARM  
ADVECTION AHEAD OF THIS TROUGH RETURNS SHOWER CHANCES TO THE  
AREA THURSDAY NIGHT. THE ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONT IS EXPECTED TO  
TRACK ACROSS THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY REGION FRIDAY AND FRIDAY  
NIGHT WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE. CLUSTERED  
ENSEMBLES BRING THE UPPER TROUGH THROUGH THE REGION SATURDAY BUT  
DIFFER ON THE EXACT TIMING DUE TO A SIGNAL FOR A POSSIBLY  
WEAKER TROUGH. SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO SHUT OFF FROM WEST TO  
EAST AS THE TROUGH EXITS THE REGION.  
 
500MB HEIGHTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON THE RISE AGAIN SUNDAY  
RETURNING DRY WEATHER AND WARMING TEMPERATURES. THE DEGREE TO  
WHICH WE WARM REMAINS IN QUESTION AS CLUSTERED ENSEMBLES FAVOR  
STUBBORNNESS FROM OUR PRIOR TROUGH IN EXITING THE EASTERN  
SEABOARD AS A STRONG RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL CONUS. A  
MORE STUBBORN, SLOWER TROUGH FAVORS A COOLER END TO THE WEEKEND.  
 
THE CENTRAL CONUS RIDGE TRANSLATES EASTWARD TO BEGIN NEXT WEEK  
AND WILL LIKELY BRING DRY WEATHER, LARGELY CLEAR SKIES AND  
ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /00Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
HIGH PRESSURE WILL DOMINATE WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE VFR CONDITIONS  
THROUGH WEDNESDAY. SOME PASSING CIRRUS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT  
TONIGHT WITH MOISTURE STREAMING OVERHEAD. WIND WILL TURN LIGHT  
AND VARIABLE OVERNIGHT.  
 
SKIES WILL BE MOSTLY CLEAR ON WEDNESDAY AND, WITH WEAK FLOW  
ALOFT AND A LIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT UNDER THE HIGH, WIND WILL  
AGAIN BE 5 KNOTS OR LESS EVEN WITH MIXING AND GRADUALLY VEER  
FROM SOUTHEASTERLY AROUND TO WESTERLY THROUGH THE DAY.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
WEAK SHORTWAVE MOVEMENT NORTH OF THE REGION MAY AID DECAYING  
CONVECTION TO REACH FKL/DUJ LATE WEDNESDAY EVENING.  
 
SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WITH RISING RESTRICTION  
PROBABILITIES WILL ACCOMPANY THE PASSAGE OF A LOW PRESSURE  
SYSTEM STARTING LATE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. THERE  
IS HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR AND DRY WEATHER DEVELOPING BY SUNDAY  
UNDER DRIER NORTHWEST FLOW AND BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE.  
 

 
   
PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
PA...NONE.  
OH...NONE.  
WV...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...HEFFERAN  
NEAR TERM...HEFFERAN  
SHORT TERM...AK  
LONG TERM...AK  
AVIATION...FRAZIER/MLB  
 
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