The Pittsburgh area is likely to see near record-setting high temperatures today
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- High temperatures in the Pittsburgh area could come close to setting new records today.
Any Alert Days Ahead? None for now
Aware: The record high for today is 84°. Today is expected to be the 111th 80° day of the year. Good for 6th most on record.
Near-record warmth is expected for today with highs hitting the 80s in a number of places. The record high for Pittsburgh is 84° today. I have Pittsburgh hitting 81°. Can we get to the record? Maybe.
The biggest thing we have in our favor is that winds are blowing in from the southeast. This motion of winds is similar to what California receives with its 'Santa Ana' winds. They're nicknamed 'devil winds' due to the dynamics in place.
Most civilizations along mountain ranges will develop on the 'windward' side. This is the side facing the prevailing winds. Winds force air to lift on the windward side, cooling the air. As the air cools it has to release moisture (rain) keeping farmers happy and bellies fed. The leeward (opposite side) of the mountains is usually barren as not only do you have dry air now blowing in, but as the air sinks it heats up. The hot and dry air is known for causing fires in California.
The same dynamics are going to be in place for us today. Now thankfully we are not expecting gusty winds today or we would have fire danger warnings posted across our area. The air coming in from the southeast will be warmer and drier though than what we would normally expect from the weather today. This could easily be the difference in us seeing highs that approach or maybe even surpass the record high. What are the chances of this happening? I'd say it's probably in the 20th percentile range. Higher than you'd think.
Let's get back to the forecast for today. Highs today will be in the 80s with morning lows for most places in the 40s. I have Pittsburgh dipping to around 50°. Skies will be sunny today with winds out of the southeast at 2-5mph. Noon temperatures should be in the low 70s. Sunset is at 6:30.
Looking ahead, Wednesday will be less hot, with highs in the mid-70s. However, temperatures will still be well above the average. Morning lows on Wednesday will be in the 50s for most places. Late Wednesday we will see a brief rain and storm chance as a cold front sweeps through. It'll turn windy behind the front with us seeing temperatures either falling or staying even through the day on Thursday. I have Thursday's high at just 58°.
Our next good shot at seeing rain will come on Friday with around a fifth of an inch falling through the day. Friday highs will be in the upper 60s with highs on Saturday in the low 60s and highs on Sunday in the 50s.
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