462  
FXUS61 KPBZ 230625  
AFDPBZ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA  
225 AM EDT SAT MAY 23 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE LATEST FORECAST. THE FLOOD WATCH  
CONTINUES THROUGH 2 PM FOR A PORTION OF THE AREA. MARGINAL RISK  
FOR SEVERE STORMS/BRIEF TORNADOES CONTINUES ACROSS SE OH THIS  
AFTERNOON.  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
1) RAIN CONTINUES THIS MORNING-FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT  
 
2) SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS THIS AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT, WITH A  
MARGINAL RISK FOR A TORNADO THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS SE OH  
 
3) SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM CHANCES CONTINUE AT TIMES INTO THE  
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...  
A WARM FRONT ADVANCING NORTHWARD, AND A LOW LEVEL JET, WILL  
MAINTAIN RAIN THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS. THE LOW LEVEL JET WILL  
LIKELY ENHANCE RAINFALL RATES AS IT MOVES NE ACROSS THE REGION  
THROUGH MID MORNING. WILL MAINTAIN THE FLOOD WATCH AS A GENERAL  
0.75 TO 1.25 INCHES HAVE FALLEN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE WATCH  
AREA. AREA STREAMS AND CREEKS ARE ALSO ELEVATED, AND THE  
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL COULD RESULT IN FLOODING. THE LATEST HREF  
INDICATES A PROBABILITY OF 50-80 PERCENT CHANCE OF 6 HR RAINFALL  
AMOUNTS OF ONE HALF INCH OR GREATER, WITH PROBABILITIES OF 1  
INCH IN 6 HOURS 30 PERCENT OR LESS.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2...  
STRATIFORM RAIN IN WARM ADVECTION SHOULD GRADUALLY SHIFT NORTH  
THROUGH THE MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE  
TROUGH AND SURFACE LOW ARE THEN EXPECTED TO ADVANCE ACROSS OHIO  
DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. AREAS ACROSS OH, SOUTHEAST OF THE  
SURFACE LOW, ARE EXPECTED TO BREAK THE SURFACE INVERSION AND  
MIX OUT SOMEWHAT IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO SURFACE  
CAPE DEVELOPING, RANGING FROM 500-1000 J/KG AROUND THE ZZV  
AREA, WITH VALUES DECREASING RAPIDLY TO THE EAST. THERE IS A  
VEERING WIND PROFILE WITH HEIGHT, WITH LOW LCLS (LIFTING  
CONDENSATION LEVELS) ALSO EXPECTED. THIS COULD RESULT IN A  
POTENTIAL FOR BRIEF TORNADOES TO DEVELOP SHOULD CONVECTION  
BECOME ORGANIZED. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS INCLUDED THE  
AREA ACROSS EASTERN OHIO IN A MARGINAL RISK, OR LEVEL 1 OUT OF  
5, FOR SEVERE STORMS, WITH THE MAIN HAZARD BRIEF TORNADOES. THE  
THREAT SHOULD QUICKLY DIMINISH AFTER SUNSET WITH LOSS OF  
SURFACE BASED CAPE. FURTHER TO THE EAST, A STRONG SURFACE  
INVERSION SHOULD PERSIST AHEAD OF THE SURFACE LOW/BOUNDARY.  
WHILE A THUNDERSTORM IS STILL POSSIBLE, ANY INSTABILITY WOULD  
BE ELEVATED AND LIMITED.  
 
THE SHORTWAVE IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE EASTWARD ACROSS THE AREA  
TONIGHT, WITH ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
IN ADDITION, GUSTY SE DOWNSLOPE WIND IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE  
WESTERN SLOPE OF THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS THROUGH THE DAY. GUSTS  
FROM 30-35 KT ARE LIKELY.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 3...  
THE SHORTWAVE CROSSING THE REGION TONIGHT SHOULD BE EXITING THE  
REGION SUNDAY MORNING, AS ANOTHER SHORTWAVE BEGINS TO APPROACH  
FROM THE MIDWEST. MUCH OF THE DAY IS EXPECTED TO BE DRY, THOUGH  
A FEW SHOWERS OR STORMS COULD DEVELOP BY THE AFTERNOON AS  
CONVECTIVE TEMPERATURES ARE MET. SHOWERS AND A FEW  
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE AGAIN FROM W-E LATE IN  
THE AFTERNOON INTO SUNDAY NIGHT AS THE SHORTWAVE CROSSES THE  
UPPER OHIO VALLEY REGION. THIS SYSTEM SHOULD BEGIN TO EXIT THE  
REGION MONDAY MORNING, WITH DECREASING POPS FROM NW-SE THROUGH  
THE DAY.  
 
MODEL ENSEMBLES INDICATE THE UPPER OHIO VALLEY REGION WILL BE  
BETWEEN A NE CONUS TROUGH, AND A CENTRAL CONUS RIDGE. A STALLED  
SURFACE BOUNDARY IN BETWEEN THESE TWO FEATURES IS EXPECTED TO  
BE ACROSS THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY TO THE MID ATLANTIC REGION,  
RESULTING IN PERIODIC SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THROUGH  
AT LEAST MID WEEK, WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCES SOUTH OF  
PITTSBURGH. WARMER TEMPERATURES ARE ALSO EXPECTED, UNTIL LATE  
WEEK WHEN HIGH PRESSURE BEGINS TO BUILD IN FROM THE NORTH WITH  
COOLER AND DRIER WEATHER.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/  
 
THE LAST SWATH OF RAINFALL IS CURRENTLY LIFTING NORTHEAST  
THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA CURRENTLY. THIS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE  
THROUGH THE AREA BEFORE DAWN. BEHIND THIS AREA IS A REGION OF  
INCREASED INSTABILITY AND THE RAINFALL CHANGES TO A MORE SHOWERY  
NATURE. EITHER WAY, MVFR, IFR AND LOWER CONDITIONS DUE TO CIGS  
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH DAWN AND INTO THE COMING DAY.  
 
LOCATIONS SUCH AS LBE AND MGW ARE STILL UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF  
DOWNSLOPE SOUTHEAST WINDS AND MVFR CONDITIONS ARE SLOWER TO  
DEVELOP BUT EVENTUAL AROUND 12Z TO 16Z. DURING THE DAY,  
CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN IFR AND BELOW AT MOST TERMINALS AND WILL  
LIKELY REMAIN FOR MUCH OD THE COMING DAY. BY 16Z ALL TERMINALS  
HAVE TRANSITIONED OVER TO CONVECTIVE SHOWERS AND POTENTIAL  
THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE ZZV TERMINAL HAVING THE BEST CHANCE AND A  
PROB30 WAS USED FOR ZZV. WINDS WILL REMAIN SOUTHEAST THROUGH  
THE DAY WITH GUSTS BETWEEN 20 AND 30 KNOTS.  
 
OUTLOOK...  
WIDESPREAD CEILING RESTRICTIONS WILL CONTINUE SATURDAY NIGHT  
INTO THE WITH ISOLATED RAIN CHANCE. SOME IMPROVEMENT IS  
POSSIBLE SUNDAY UNTIL A COLD FRONT APPROACHES LATER IN THE DAY.  
 
 
   
PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
PA...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR PAZ020-021-029-  
031.  
OH...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR OHZ039>041-  
048>050-057>059-068-069.  
WV...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 2 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR WVZ001>004-012.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...WM  
AVIATION...SHALLENBERGER  
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