Pittsburghers looking to soak up sunshine and warm temperatures should do so while there’s light Thursday, as storms forecast for the evening are expected to segue into cooler conditions this weekend.
Temperatures are forecast to reach into the low 70s Thursday, said Jared Rackley, meteorologist for the National Weather Service Pittsburgh office in Moon. But storms are expected to roll into the region around 8 or 9 p.m., he said.
“Mostly, we’re concerned about damaging winds, but we could see an isolated tornado or two, possibly some hail,” Rackley said.
Isolated flash flooding also could occur late Thursday and early Friday, namely in flood-prone areas, he said.
Severe storms Thursday could produce winds up to 70 mph, Rackley said. “That’s enough to knock down tree limbs and do damage,” he said.
The Pittsburgh region has seen its fair share of high winds this month, including a storm March 13 that left about 260,000 West Penn Power and Duquesne Light customers without power.
Rackley said the recent spate of high winds is not unusual for spring in Pittsburgh.
“It does seem like it’s been pretty active over the last month or so,” he said, “but this is the time of year we get active with wind and cold fronts.”
The region is expected to stay dry Friday through Sunday, Rackley said.
Temperatures will rise to the high 40s on Friday before dropping below 30 overnight, and Saturday is forecast for a high of 43 and a low of 30 in the evening, he said. Temperatures will reach into the high 50s on Sunday, cooling down to 45 overnight.