Special Weather Statement, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
243 PM EST SAT JAN 14 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
LOW PRESSURE OVER THE GREAT LAKES WILL MAINTAIN COLD CONDITIONS
AND SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES THIS EVENING. HIGH PRESSURE WILL
PROVIDE DRY WEATHER FOR SUNDAY INTO MONDAY MORNING. LOW PRESSURE
WILL BRING A WARM UP WITH RAIN SHOWERS LATE MONDAY AND TUESDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/...
A WEAK SHORT WAVE PUSHING ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY THIS EVENING WILL
BRING A FEW SNOW SHOWERS OR FLURRIES. HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN
LATER TONIGHT WILL BRING AN END TO THE SNOW SHOWERS BUT PROVIDE
CONTINUED CHILLY TEMPERATURES. WITH HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING IN FOR
SUNDAY DRY WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG WITH SOME BREAKS IN THE
CLOUDINESS.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BRING CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS FOR SUNDAY NIGHT INTO
MONDAY MORNING. A WARM FRONT MOVING INTO THE OHIO VALLEY MONDAY
WILL BRING MODERATING TEMPERATURES FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON ALONG WITH
A CHANCE OF RAIN SHOWERS.

&&

.LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
DESPITE SOME INITIAL MODEL STRENGTH AND TIMING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
THE ECMEF AND GFS...ALL MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT COLD FRONTAL
PASSAGE WILL OCCUR TUESDAY NIGHT BRINGING A CHANGEOVER FROM RAIN TO
SNOW SHOWERS. NORTHWEST FLOW BEHIND THE FRONT COULD ALLOW FOR SNOW
SHOWERS TO LINGER THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY BEFORE DISSIPATING
WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE UPPER LEVEL PATTERN WILL THEN BECOME FAIRLY
ZONAL THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD. FAST MOVING
SYSTEMS MOVING THROUGH THE FLOW MAY BRING ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR
SNOW SHOWERS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY.

KEPT TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO HPC GUIDANCE WITH TEMPERATURES ABOUT 5
DEGREES BELOW NORMAL WEDNESDAY...MODERATING TO 5 DEGREES ABOVE BY
THE END OF THE WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION /20Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING AS A SERIES OF
SHORTWAVES CROSS THE REGION. MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES WILL BE
EXPECTED IN ANY SNOW SHOWERS OUTSIDE OF THE LAKE EFFECT BAND THAT IS
EFFECTING KFKL AND KDUJ...WHERE VISIBILITIES REMAIN IFR. AT THESE
TWO SITES...IFR SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 00Z BEFORE MODELS
INDICATE ANY SERIOUS FLUCTUATION IN THE LAKE EFFECT BAND. SINCE THE
HI RES MODELS HAVEN'T HAD THE GREATEST HANDLE ON THE BAND SO FAR
TODAY...IT COULD BE REASONABLE THAT IFR CONTINUE PAST 00Z

RECENT SATELLITE...SURFACE OBS....AND LAMP GUIDANCE SUGGEST A
TEMPORARY IMPROVEMENT AT SOME SITES TO VFR THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE
DROPPING BACK TO MVFR OVERNIGHT. HAVE A GRADUAL IMPROVEMENT TO VFR
DURING THE DAY SUNDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE APPROACHES.

WINDS WILL CONTINUE OUT OF THE WEST AT 5-10KTS...SHIFTING MORE
NORTHWESTERLY OVERNIGHT.

OUTLOOK...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...
VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY. THE NEXT CHANCE FOR
RESTRICTIONS WILL BE LATE MONDAY INTO WEDNESDAY FROM MIXED
PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PASSING EASTWARD
THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES. AN IMPROVEMENT TO VFR IS COULD OCCUR
THURSDAY.

&&

.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...NONE.
OH...NONE.
PA...NONE.
WV...NONE.

&&

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
513 AM EST SAT JAN 14 2012

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029-031-073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-151015-
GARRETT-TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-COSHOCTON-HARRISON-
JEFFERSON OH-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-MERCER-VENANGO-
FOREST-LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-BEAVER-ALLEGHENY-
ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-WASHINGTON-GREENE-WESTMORELAND-WESTMORELAND RIDGES-
FAYETTE-FAYETTE RIDGES-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO-MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION-
MONONGALIA-PRESTON-TUCKER-
513 AM EST SAT JAN 14 2012

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EAST
CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...SOUTHWEST
PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA
AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
521 PM EST SAT JAN 14 2012

PAZ014-020-021-142315-
ALLEGHENY PA-BEAVER PA-BUTLER PA-
521 PM EST SAT JAN 14 2012

...SNOW SHOWERS...

SNOW SHOWERS TO MOVE THROUGH THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...
ALLEGHENY...BEAVER AND BUTLER...

AT 510 PM EST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR IN PITTSBURGH
INDICATED AN AREA OF SNOW SHOWERS EXTENDING FROM NEAR ECONOMY BORO
TO MARS AND WEXFORD. THE SNOW SHOWERS WERE MOVING SLOWLY EASTWARD
AND COULD PRODUCE A QUICK COATING UP TO AN INCH. UNTREATED ROAD
SURFACES CAN RAPIDLY BECOME SLIPPERY.

SOME LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE IMPACTED BY THESE SNOW SHOWERS INCLUDE...
  ALLISON PARK...CRANBERRY...ECONOMY BORO...EVANS CITY...FRANKLIN
  PARK...GIBSONIA...LERNERVILLE...MARS...RUSSELLTON...SARVER...
  SAXONBURG AND WEXFORD

SNOW COULD ACCUMULATE RAPIDLY WHERE THESE SNOW SHOWERS PERSIST AND
REDUCE VISIBILITIES MAKING TRAVEL DIFFICULT.

PLEASE REPORT SNOW AMOUNTS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING
TOLL FREE...1-877-633-6772.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

TRAVELERS NEED TO BE ALERT FOR CONDITIONS SUDDENLY BECOMING HAZARDOUS
AS UNTREATED PAVEMENTS CAN BECOME QUICKLY SNOW COVERED AND SLIPPERY
AND VISIBILITIES SHARPLY REDUCED.

LAT...LON 4060 7975 4058 7977 4055 7977 4054 7996
      4056 8025 4076 8020 4079 7970