380
FXUS61 KPBZ 230703
AFDPBZ

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
203 AM EST Tue Dec 23 2025

.SYNOPSIS...
Expect a period of win try mix tonight in the northeastern
counties as a warm front extends into the forecast area. The
rest of the area will see rain through Tuesday as temperatures
rise. Unseasonably warm conditions and rain chances linger
through the week into the weekend.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
KEY MESSAGES:

- Rain chances increase overnight, snow/wintry mix north of I-80
- Winter Weather Advisory for 2 northeast counties and Special
  Weather Statement to cover more marginal areas for freezing
  rain
-----------------------------------------------------------

Current conditions across the region feature a weakening warm
front beginning to lift northeast into the Upper OH Valley. This
is accompanied by shortwave tracking across aloft with precip
beginning to fill into the area over northern PA and northern
OH. Surface temperatures north of I-80 are at freezing or below
in numerous locations. With a weak warm nose into these
northeast counties, there stand to be the potential for a 0.01
of freezing rain. Precip will begin as snow with less than an
inch likely. The NBM probs give around a 50% chance for 0.01 of
freezing rain and while this doesn`t give the amount of
confidence needed, the fact that I-80 is in the area and this is
heavily traveled this time of year, decided to issue a Winter
Weather Advisory for Forest and Jefferson County through 15Z.
The rest of the forecast area will see some isolated rain and
snow mix changing to all rain before dawn.

The rest of the forecast through the day will feature the
shortwave lifting off to the northeast with some lingering low
level cloud cover and rain/drizzle through the rest of the day.
The passage of the trough will lead to some southwesterly flow
that will raise temperatures into the upper 40s across the area
being roughly 10 degrees warmer than normal.

Dry conditions return areawide Tuesday night as drier air works in
in the wake of a weak cold front passage and building high pressure
across the Great Lakes.

&&

.SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
KEY MESSAGES:

- Dry and cloudy Wednesday with slightly cooler, but above normal
  temperatures
- Rain Wednesday morning and through the day, potential snow
  mixed in
----------------------------------------------------------------

Wednesday will still feature a good bit of mid-level jet
induced upper level cloud coverage with and slightly cooler
temperatures owing to veering northwest flow in the wake of the
FROPA. Lows on Christmas Eve are likely to be above normal under
the increased cloud coverage and light southerly flow.

By Wednesday night, with the ridge remaining over the central
CONUS, another rather weather wave will track the ridge and
shift east into the Upper OH Valley bringing some light rain to
the area with the potential of snow mixing in with some freezing
temperatures in the northern counties. Rain will persist through
the day on Thursday with a weak shortwave aloft over the area
and northwesterly flow bringing some lake influence at the
surface.

&&

.LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...
KEY MESSAGES:

- More widespread precip on Friday with a potential concern to
  freezing precipitation
- Divergent solutions indicate increasing forecast uncertainty
  after Friday
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Ensembles suggest another, slightly deeper, wave following the
same track on Friday and another surface low traversing the
region. A longer period of north to northwest flow ahead of the
low may allow for colder air to be more strongly entrenched
ahead of it and open the door for more wintry precip types. This
will be highly dependent on the track of the surface low which
is uncertain owing to shortwave amplitude and timing. NBM MaxT
for Friday shows a sharp contour in spread basically from
Pittsburgh south and west; what`s higher confidence at this
point is that 1) areawide precip is likely and 2) locales in SE
OH should be safely in the warm sector and see the upper 50s to
even low 60s. Farther north, uncertainty really becomes evident
with a 15-20 degree spread in highs ranging from 30s on the cold
side to upper 50s on the warm side. The latest NBM has taken a
colder turn, but with so much uncertainty being fed in, expect
that bouncing back and forth until steadier solutions are
reached. A colder turn in the NBM could lead to a freezing rain
potential in the northern counties.

A series of continuing shortwaves will provide periodic
precipitation chances into the weekend as ensembles resolve toward
more zonal flow, but much uncertainty arises aside from that and
near to above normal temperatures. There is some indications
that point to a change in the pattern that could lead to a
return to cold intrusions and this is indicated in the latest
climate outlooks. Numerous deterministic models suggest this and
the NBM has latched onto this on this for Monday. While there is
plenty of uncertainty, this will be something to watch.

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
KEY MESSAGES:

- Restrictions develop overnight in rain with a warm front
- Wintry mix possible at DUJ
- IFR continues most of the day
------------------------------------------------------------

Rain and flight condition deterioration is expected overnight
with the approach and passage of a warm front. The exception is
at DUJ, where a period of freezing rain and light snow is
expected overnight and early Tuesday morning. Temperatures are
expected to rise above freezing at DUJ by 13Z, changing any
precip to rain.

Otherwise, expect condition deterioration to MVFR, and eventual
IFR, by morning as moisture increases with the warm front. A low
level jet is also expected to track across much of the region
overnight, resulting in LLWS. IFR is expected to continue
through much of the day, with some patchy drizzle possible after
the rain ends. Some improvement to low MVFR is expected Tuesday
evening, as a surface cold front crosses.

Outlook...
VFR is expected to return by Wednesday afternoon under high
pressure. Low pressure returns restriction and rain potential
for Thursday. Another low will maintain restrictions and rain
Friday, with a wintry mix possible for FKL and DUJ. VFR is
expected Saturday under high pressure.

&&

.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
PA...Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM EST this morning for
     PAZ009-016.
OH...None.
WV...None.

&&

$$

SYNOPSIS...Shallenberger
NEAR TERM...Shallenberger
SHORT TERM...Shallenberger
LONG TERM...MLB/Shallenberger
AVIATION...WM