Drizzle and low-50s temperatures will remind Pittsburgh that it's fall
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Every little bit matters and while not a drought buster, the 0.5" of rain that we saw on Thursday will help to slow what has been a worsening drought situation here locally. We are wrapping up this year exactly opposite of how we started the year when we saw several big record-setting rain systems slide through the area.
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Looking at the weather pattern over the next two weeks, it appears the driest stretch of this drought pattern is now behind us. Just over the next week, I expect we will see one major and one minor system slide through. That's after the current system moves out that will bring us light drizzle today.
The next system after today will arrive on Sunday evening with the biggest impact felt on Monday morning for people living up along I-80.
In Pittsburgh, the total rain from the next system will be less than 0.05". Rain totals will be closer to a fifth of an inch though for places like Oil City.
Again, every little bit helps.
The major system arrives on Wednesday afternoon, with rain & snow chances sticking around through Saturday. The system could bring widespread rain totals of an inch to an inch and a half to our area.
I kind of slipped in the snow chance there as an afterthought, but snow totals could end up being more than an inch in some spots. At this point what falls will be way more than anything that tries to stick due to temperatures remaining too warm. I don't want to get too into snow at this point as there is a lot of time for things to change.
Today is the second day though that model data has jumped on snow for the back end of the week though so it is something we are watching and I do have snow on the 7 day.
Getting back to today and today's forecast. Temperatures this morning are near where they were yesterday with most in the mid to upper 40s. Highs today should hit the low 50s. Fog is fairly thick due to colder air moving over a damp and warm surface. While low, the best chance for seeing drizzle today will be this afternoon at around 3p as a little disturbance will briefly increase lift.
The rest of the weekend will be pleasant with highs in the mid-50s on Saturday and Sunday highs near 60. Sunday morning will be chilly with temperatures dipping to the mid to low 30s.
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