Region under flood watch with heavy rain forecast over the weekend
A dreary weekend could bring a couple inches of rain to the region and possibly minor flooding in some spots along the Monongahela River.
The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has placed Southwestern Pennsylvania under a flood watch this weekend with rain expected to begin this morning and continue falling until Sunday afternoon, when temperatures drop and the precipitation changes over to snow.
That has predictor models at the Charleroi Lock & Dam showing possible minor flooding on the Monongahela River, with the water level expected to crest at 28.5 feet early Monday morning just shy of moderate flooding levels. Other locations to the south along the Monongahela River are predicted to be in the lesser “action” flood level stage during that time span.
NWS meteorologist David Shallenberger said the region will likely see 1 1/2 inches of rain, although the southern areas of Greene and Fayette counties could see up to 2 inches since rainfall will be higher closer to the Mason-Dixon Line.
“Everything is still at minor (level) now,” Shallenberger said of flood predictions in the mid-Mon Valley. “There was a concern that Charleroi could be going into moderate, but with the latest updates (Friday morning) we’re just looking at minor (flooding) now.”
The heaviest rain is expected to arrive around 7 a.m. today and continue nonstop until Sunday afternoon when it changes to snow, Shallenberger said. The lower elevations could receive up to an inch of snowfall while the higher elevations in Fayette County could see a little more than an inch, he said.
“We’re not looking at a lot. Maybe less than an inch,” Shallenberger said of most areas. “But it doesn’t take much with the temperature below freezing to have some slick roads.”
The flood watch, which includes Allegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington and Westmoreland counties, goes into effect Saturday morning and extends until at least Sunday night.