Severe weather prompts tornado watches, warnings across Pittsburgh area | First Alert Weather
A round of severe weather prompted several severe thunderstorm and tornado watches and warnings across the Pittsburgh area on Sunday afternoon.
The last tornado warnings in the Pittsburgh viewing area, specifically in Indiana County, expired around 2:15 p.m.
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch until 4 p.m. Sunday across eastern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, and northern West Virginia. A tornado warning was also issued for various regions within Pennsylvania, including some parts of Indiana and Westmoreland County.
First Alert: None
Aware: The National Weather Service will survey damage to determine if a tornado or straight-line winds caused damage in areas.
Sunrise/Sunset Monday: 7:29 a.m. / 7:30 p.m.
Average Hi/Lo Monday: 49° / 30°
Spring begins at 5:01 a.m. Thursday.
The worst is behind us. We are still watching as storm reports trickle in, as people go out to survey the damage sustained from the severe weather early this afternoon.
From roofs blown off structures, to trees and powerlines down, there will be a lot of cleanup in the days ahead.
We did have three tornado warnings early this afternoon. The National Weather Service is communicating with emergency managers and will formulate a survey plan to see if the damage was a tornado or straight-line wind.
That said, even outside of rotation, some of the wind reports were quite impressive.
Latrobe airport's weather station registered an 89mph wind gust. That would rival the winds in many of the tornadoes we have in this area. It is also a reminder that straight-line winds can be just as dangerous as those in tornadoes.
We will still see a few showers this evening and overnight, as this system continues its exit to our east.
No further severe weather is anticipated.
As high pressure builds in, we will see the skies clear on St. Patrick's Day. These clearing skies will be met with colder temperatures.
If you loved that warmer set up of last week, it will make an encore performance mid-week. Temperatures are expected to return to the 60s and 70s for a few days.
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Nearly 52,000 without power due to high winds, severe weather
Power outages have also been reported throughout the area due to high winds and severe weather.
Duquesne Light reports approximately 4,800 customers in Allegheny County are without power as of 4:30 p.m.
Click here for Duquesne Light's outage map.
West Penn Power reports approximately 47,000 power outages across their service areas that include Allegheny, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Mercer, Washington, and Westmoreland counties.
Click here for West Penn Power's outage map.