827  
FXUS61 KPBZ 021256  
AFDPBZ  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA  
856 AM EDT FRI OCT 2 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED
 
 
NO MAJOR CHANGES TO THE FORECAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. FROST  
POTENTIAL EARLY NEXT WEEK IS LOOKING MORE LIKELY. UPDATED FOR  
THE 12Z TAF ISSUANCE.  
 

 
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1) SHOWERS RETURN WITH A COLD FRONT TODAY, WITH NO NOTABLE  
THREATS FOR HEAVY RAIN OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
2) COOLER AND MAINLY DRY FROM THIS WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
FROST IS A POSSIBILITY TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY MORNINGS, MAINLY  
NORTHEAST OF PITTSBURGH.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
KEY MESSAGE 1...  
A TROUGH OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WILL BEGIN TO EJECT EAST TODAY  
AS THE TROUGH LIFTS INTO THE OH VALLEY. A RIDGE WILL BE PRESENT  
OVER THE SOUTHEAST/EASTERN CONUS AS THIS WILL SLOWLY IMPEDE AND  
WEAKEN THE FRONT AS IT APPROACHES. IN FACT, THE NORTHERN END OF  
THE RAIN SHIELD THE ENSEMBLES ARE ADVERTISING SEEMS TO SHEAR  
OUT AND DISSIPATE THE PRECIPITATION A BIT. THE NBM SHOWS ROUGHLY  
50% TO 70% OF EXCEEDING 0.25" OVER IN OUR OHIO COUNTIES BUT ITS  
MORE AROUND 30% TO 50% FOR THE PA AND WV COUNTIES. THIS MAKES  
SENSE AS THE FRONT SEEMS TO DETERIORATE BY THE TIME IT BEGINS TO  
PUSH INTO PA.  
 
THAT SAID, THE PROBS FOR SB CAPE TO EVEN EXCEED 250 J/KG IS ONLY  
30% TO 50% AND THIS AREA IS SOUTHEAST OF PITTSBURGH. THE OTHER  
FACTOR IS THAT THE SPC ONLY HAS A GENERAL THUNDER AREA FOR THE  
AREA SOUTH OF I-70. THE WPC DOES NOT HAVE A MARGINAL OUTLOOK FOR  
THE AREA FOR FRIDAY EITHER. THUS NO IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED,  
ALTHOUGH, THE 850 MB WINDS ADVERTISE A 30 TO 40 KNOT LL JET.  
THIS MIGHT BE ENOUGH TO GET A FEW WIND GUSTS OF 20 TO 30 KNOTS  
THROUGH THE DAY TODAY BUT THAT WOULD BE THE EXTENT. ALSO THE NBM  
PROBS GIVE A 30% TO 50% PROBABILITY FOR WIND GUSTS ABOVE 25 MPH  
AND EVEN HIGHER ON THE RIDGES.  
 
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 AND EAST OF PITTSBURGH ON SUNDAY. THIS DISTURBANCE WOULD  
BE FOLLOWED BY AN INFLUX OF COOLER AIR INTO THE REGION, DROPPING  
TEMPERATURES BELOW CLIMATOLOGY EARLY NEXT WEEK WHILE ANOTHER RUN  
OF DRY WEATHER BEGINS THANKS TO HIGH PRESSURE.  
 
ONE THING TO WATCH WILL BE THE POTENTIAL FOR FROST BOTH TUESDAY AND  
WEDNESDAY MORNINGS TO THE NORTHEAST OF PITTSBURGH, AS WELL AS  
IN THE USUAL LAUREL HIGHLAND/NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA COLD SPOTS.  
THE NBM PAINTS A 50% TO 75% CHANCE OF LOW TEMPERATURES COLDER  
THAN 37 DEGREES NORTH OF US-422 BOTH MORNINGS - WHICH WOULD BE  
CHILLY ENOUGH FOR AT LEAST PATCHY FROST GIVEN CLEAR AND CALM  
OVERNIGHT CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES FROM WEDNESDAY ON SHOULD  
BUILD BACK TOWARDS MORE SEASONAL VALUES.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
VFR WILL SLOWLY BEGIN TO FADE AS SHOWERS ALONG THE COLD FRONT  
ENTER THE AREA. THERE HAS BEEN A QUICK MOVEMENT DOWN TO MVFR AND  
A BOTTOMING OUT AT IFR IN PORTS TO OUR WEST. THESE SAME  
RESTRICTIONS WILL SWEEP THE REGION THIS MORNING. RESTRICTIONS  
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON BEFORE BEGINNING TO RISE  
ONCE AGAIN FROM WEST TO EAST BEHIND THE FRONT. THE EVENTUAL  
RISE BACK TO VFR COULD BE QUICKER THAN PORTRAYED IN THE CURRENT  
TAF. MOST RESTRICTIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE ON THE RISE BY 00Z  
TONIGHT AND TRENDING TOWARDS DRIER ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA BY  
03Z. LINGERING CLOUD COVER MAY PRECLUDE EFFICIENT RADIATIVE  
COOLING AND FOG FORMATION TONIGHT BUT, STEAM FOG ALONG AREA  
RIVERS COULD OCCUR.  
 
SWERLY WINDS WILL VEER THROUGHOUT THE DAY EVENTUALLY PICKING UP  
AND BECOMING NNWERLY BEHIND THE FRONT. GUSTS BETWEEN 15-20 KTS  
ARE POSSIBLE BEHIND THE FRONT TODAY BEFORE SLACKING AGAIN THIS  
EVENING.  
 
OUTLOOK... BOUNDARY MAY STALL JUST SOUTH OF I-70 WITH SOME  
POTENTIAL RESTRICTIONS SAT AND SUN AT THE SOUTHERN TERMINALS.  
OTHERWISE, VFR IS PROGGED OUTSIDE OF ANY MORNING FOG.  
 

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

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...34/SHALLENBERGER  
AVIATION...AK  
 
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