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CBS News
12-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Pittsburgh's air quality noses into the "sensitive" range on Thursday afternoon
With most being dry today, and day one of the U.S. Open starting up at Oakmont, air quality is certainly the top weather headline. For our region, we normally have two real drivers when it comes to air pollution. WEATHER LINKS: Current Conditions | School Closings & Delays | Submit Your Weather Photos One of those is when we have a ridge of high pressure in place, and ozone is created in the atmosphere. The ozone eventually mixes down to the ground, where it causes respiratory issues for those who may be vulnerable. Forecast for the U.S. Open in Oakmont this week KDKA Weather Center The second thing that we see when high pressure is in place is a 'cap', where sinking air doesn't allow for chemicals trapped at the surface, like pollutants from factories or even car exhaust, to escape into the atmosphere. There is also sometimes a third option when it comes to Canadian smoke. Today's concerns are about 8 parts ozone creation with two parts Canadian smoke. As of 4 a.m., no area is really close to hitting orange. Canadian smoke levels should peak this morning before easing as we head into the afternoon. Ozone levels peak in the afternoon with the sun at its highest angle. Air quality watches and warnings this afternoon in Western Pennsylvania KDKA Weather Center The official forecast has us just barely hitting the orange range due to a mix of both of these conditions. I think the best advice is if you have respiratory issues, or are over the age of let's say 65, you should take it easy today. Be aware of your body and how you are feeling. Everyone else should be fine. Let's get to your forecast. Highs today will hit the mid-80s. I have the noon temperature at 80 degrees. Dew points have ticked up around 10 degrees from yesterday, so humidity levels will be in the moderate range. The rain chance for today is isolated, with almost everyone dry. Rain chances over the next week KDKA Weather Center Rain chances will tick up on Friday with a round of scattered storms expected during the afternoon. Rain and storms could be fairly widespread on Saturday and potentially on Sunday. There may also be a flood risk on Saturday, depending on total rain. Highs will be in the mid-80s on Friday. Saturday and Sunday highs will be near 80°. 7-day forecast: June 12, 2025 KDKA Weather Center Stay up to date with the KDKA Mobile App – which you can download here!
CBS News
04-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Wednesday will be the last dry day in Pittsburgh for quite some time
It was close, but for the 17th day in a to,w we saw temperatures at or below average in Pittsburgh. We will see above-average temperatures today with highs hitting the mid-80s and morning lows dipping to just around 60 degrees. WEATHER LINKS: Current Conditions | School Closings & Delays | Submit Your Weather Photos Similar to yesterday, Canadian smoke will be thick enough in our atmosphere to give us a gorgeous sunrise and sunset. It'll also be thick enough for us to see the haze in our skies even in the middle of the day. Wildfire smoke's effect in our region through Thursday morning KDKA Weather Center When it comes to air quality, the forecast keeps us in the moderate (yellow) range through Saturday with improving conditions for Sunday and Monday. When it comes to air quality, we watch for three different types of "bad air." Canadian smoke is a collection of what we call fine particles or PM2.5. These concentrations should be highest in the morning during the most stable time of the day. Ozone creation, due to the sun's interaction with Oxygen particles in the atmosphere, happens on sunny days. These levels will be lower than fine particles but will spike in the afternoon. Today should be the last day this week that Ozone will be a concern, with more cloud cover in place for the rest of the week. The good thing about temperatures being on the cool side over the past two and a half weeks is that our severe weather chances have remained low. Severe weather chances will return on Thursday, though, with strong winds being possible just south of a slow-moving cold front that will be in place both Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. A rainy pattern will also be in place for the rest of the week. I have at least a chance for rain every day on the 7-day forecast except today. Rain chances over the next week KDKA Weather Center The best chance for rain on any day will be on Friday, with a chance for rain in the morning, afternoon, and evening. The heaviest rain of the next week may roll through on Saturday morning just after midnight. Quickly getting back to temperatures, I'll keep highs in the mid-80s on Thursday, with highs dipping to the upper 70s on Friday, with the rain around. I have highs in the 70s on both Saturday and Sunday, with Monday's highs near 80. 7-day forecast: June 4, 2025 KDKA Weather Center Stay up to date with the KDKA Mobile App – which you can download here!
CBS News
03-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Canadian wildfire smoke in the Pittsburgh area will be thickening today and causing poor air quality
Canadian wildfire smoke in the Pittsburgh area will be thickening today and causing poor air quality throughout the region. Any Alert Days Ahead? Friday may end up being one but right now the chance looks VERY low. Next Monday probably has a slightly higher chance of being a First Alert Weather Day but chance is still low. Aware: Air quality will be the lowest in the Mon Valley today, but that is due to pollutants from local factories more than it is due to Canadian smoke. The 'Pittsburgh Smells' App will likely see an active day today. It's always something isn't it? We finally get a couple of days where temperatures will be about where you'd expect them to be, but Canadian wildfire smoke is back. Overall, the most noticeable impact from the smoke is expected to be gorgeous sunrises and sunsets. With the current atmospheric set-up, we know that some of the smoke that's aloft will 'mix' down to the surface. This, along with ample Ozone development, will lead to air quality conditions in the 'yellow' zone. Yellow is known as 'moderate' air quality. This is the first step past 'good' air quality. There are five steps, with the next step being 'orange'. Orange is the 'sensitive' range. The difference is that moderate means people with respiratory issues may be a little short of breath today. The sensitive range adds young children and older folks to the list of people who may be impacted. KDKA Weather Center On top of dealing with Canadian smoke, we will also see a spike in Ozone this afternoon with ample sunshine. Ozone is created in the atmosphere through a chemical process where the sun's ultraviolet rays cause the development of Ozone-3 (O3). This happens on sunny days. Finally, the Mon Valley will see the worst conditions today (and all week) due to high pressure trapping particulates from factory exhaust at the surface. At times yesterday, the Liberty & North Braddock air quality sensors dipped to red. That means the air was unhealthy for everyone. Getting back to the forecast, rain stays away through Thursday morning. Highs today should return to the 80s with noon temperatures in the mid-70s. Winds will be light, coming in out of the south at around 5mph. We could see winds gusting past 15mph. Wednesday will likely be the hottest day of the week; I have Pittsburgh hitting a high temperature of 87°. I keep us just as warm on Thursday, even with the rain chance. I have us hitting 86° for Thursday's high. I also keep us in the mid 80s on Friday before we cool down just a bit for the weekend. I have Saturday highs in the upper 70s with Sunday highs near 80 degrees. KDKA Weather Center Expect Friday evening rain, so your 'day' will be dry. Saturday looks pretty rainy with passing showers around all day. WEATHER LINKS: Current Conditions | School Closings & Delays | Submit Your Weather Photos
CBS News
24-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Memorial Day Weekend begins with cool, but dry weather with warmth on the way in Pittsburgh
This weekend we dry out with highs in the low to mid 60s with Sunday getting a little bit warmer in the upper 60s and partly sunny skies. Hourly Temperatures: 9 a.m.: 50°, mostly cloudy Noon: 57°, mostly cloudy 3 p.m.: 60°, partly cloudy 6 p.m.: 62°, partly cloudy Daily Averages - High: 74°, Low: 53° Sunrise: 5:56 a.m., Sunset 8:38 p.m. Temperatures throughout the day - May 24, 2025 KDKA Weather Center WEATHER LINKS: Current Conditions | School Closings & Delays | Submit Your Weather Photos Memorial Day warms up to possibly touch 70, and it's looking dry with mostly sunny skies! Tuesday and through midweek we have rain returning but our temperatures will still struggle only making it to the mid 60s so right now nothing severe is expected. Rain chances over the next week KDKA Weather Center The rest of the month our temperatures will be below normal. For the month so far, we are 2.7° above normal, but that number will keep ticking down probably leaving us right around average. 7-day forecast: May 24, 2025 KDKA Weather Center Stay up to date with the KDKA Mobile App – which you can download here!
CBS News
23-05-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Light rain possible with most of the day in Pittsburgh looking dry
Looking at today's forecast, light rain is possible, but most of your day will be dry. WEATHER LINKS: Current Conditions | School Closings & Delays | Submit Your Weather Photos It's going to be cool, with highs only hitting the mid-50s today. It'll be breezy as well. You'll want to bundle up if you're stuck outside. Things will improve for the rest of your holiday weekend. Memorial Day Forecast KDKA Weather Center Highs on Saturday will hit the low 60s. Sunday highs will hit the mid to upper 60s, with highs near 70 on Memorial Day. I have just an isolated 20 percent rain chance for each of those days. 7-day forecast: May 23, 2025 KDKA Weather Center Three tornadoes touch down in Western Pennsylvania Yesterday saw the confirmation of three tornadoes occurring on Wednesday evening. Two of the confirmed tornadoes occurred in Butler County. That's rare, as the last time the county had seen tornadoes was in 2001. The other confirmed tornado occurred in Washington County. Location of the nine confirmed tornadoes in western Pennsylvania so far this year. KDKA Weather Center The Washington County tornado was the most powerful, reaching an EF-1 with estimated peak winds hitting 90mph. This tornado stayed on the ground a while, with damage clear along a path of 14.5 miles. The maximum width was 200 yards, so think two football field lengths. The storm's damage started in Allison Park and continued through Finleyville. The tornado stayed on the ground for around 24 minutes. It was powerful enough to displace a large metal porch. Both of the Butler County tornadoes were smaller, with the Northvue twister rated as an EF-0 & staying on the ground just 0.35 miles. The width was impressive, though for being so brief, with the width estimated at 160 yards. It stayed on the ground for less than five minutes. This was the storm that was caught lifting a roof off the Center Township salt dome. The second Butler County tornado stayed on the ground just a quarter of a mile but was the 'largest' tornado of the day with a width of 210 yards. It impacted the community of Jamisonville, with damage occurring along Mack Road. For Butler County, records show a total of just 28 tornadoes occurring in the county since 1888. Stay up to date with the KDKA Mobile App – which you can download here!
