Pittsburgh Weather: Wintry mix turns to rain before weekend winter storm
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Today is the first full day of winter and it will certainly look and feel like it.
We start off with a wintry mix then switch all to rain as temperatures get to the upper 30s and low 40s. The Laurel Highlands and ridges could see a light glaze from freezing rain and up to 2" of snowfall.
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There's a Winter Weather Advisory for those areas going until 3 p.m. Garrett Co., Maryland will be hit the hardest where there's a Winter Storm Warning going until 6 p.m. and 4-7" of snow is expected there.
There is also a Wind Chill Watch in effect from Friday morning to Saturday evening and a High Wind Watch. Bring your pets inside and leave your water dripping so your pipes don't freeze.
Try to go out now and get your bags of salt if you are out.
The next round is Friday which is why it's a First Alert Weather Day.
That rain will switch over to all snow by sunrise. While it's raining, temperatures will be in the 40s. But that arctic air will move in very fast during the morning hours, and we'll quickly drop down into the teens and single digits within a few hours.
This will promptly freeze any wet surfaces and turn them into slick and icy spots. Snow will also be accumulating all throughout the day on top of the icy surfaces. In this case, 1" or 3" doesn't make a difference because it'll be blowing around. Do not be on the roads if you don't have to be and try to travel before. Winds will also be gusting up to 50 mph, so wind chill values will be well below zero by Friday night.
Saturday is Christmas Eve and also a First Alert Weather Day.
Morning lows will be in the single digits, but wind chills will be anywhere from 0 to -20 due to the gusty winds up to 40 mph. Afternoon highs will be in the mid-teens, but wind chills will still remain below zero the entire day. Light snow will linger on, and light accumulations could add to Friday's snow totals.
The Steelers' game on Saturday night at Acrisure Stadium will be the coldest one of the season so far with single digits temperatures and negative wind chills. If you're going to that, have numerous layers on and find ways to stay warm as much as possible!
Christmas Day will still be very cold with wind chills between 0 to -10- and single-digit temperatures. There may be some flurries lingering, but it's looking like a White Christmas!
Any snow that falls Friday should stick to the ground all throughout Christmas weekend because of the frigid temperatures. Afternoon highs will be in the upper teens with winds calming down but still a bit breezy at times.
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