Warmer, wet weather coming this week
Gradually this week, warmer weather will expel the sub-freezing temperatures that have glaciated the area for the last few days.
Temperatures over the weekend were 15 degrees below normal, said Fred McMullen, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh. Morning temperatures were in the single digits and wind chills reduced temperatures to below zero, he added.
Only a little snow accumulated Saturday and Sunday on top of the snow that fell Thursday night and early Friday.
The warming trend begins tomorrow when partly sunny skies and a high temperature of 35 degrees are in the forecast for Fayette County and the Mon Valley.
Commuting on Tuesday morning could be dicey due to a chance of snow turning into sleet and freezing rain before afternoon temperatures climb into the low 40s and turn the precipitation into rain.
“Freezing rain will be the primary concern because the ground will be cold from several days of below freezing temperatures,” said McMullen.
Following a low of 25 degrees and a 30 percent chance of snow Monday night, there is a 60-70 percent chance of snow and sleet before 9-10 a.m. Tuesday.
The precipitation could turn to only sleet by 11 a.m. before the thermometer reaches 43 in the afternoon.
Any snow accumulation from the weekend will start disappearing Tuesday afternoon and keep melting away as temperatures reach the mid-50s on Wednesday and Thursday.
“It should stay in the mid-40s most of the week,” McMullen said.
Rain and cloudy skies are also in the forecast for most of the week. A 70 percent chance of rain is predicted for Tuesday night and Wednesday and there is a 40 percent chance on Thursday, according to the NWS.