Cold temperatures to return to Western Pa. next week

While it might feel like summer today in Western Pennsylvania, a change is headed this way.

Friday had the potential to reach 85 degrees, according to David Shallenberger, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Moon.

After that, a cold front is moving into the area next week.

Saturday will see thunderstorms moving through, with temperatures a little bit cooler with a high around upper 70s, Shallenberger said.

“We’re getting a break from the heat right now after our showers and thunderstorms this weekend,” he said.

Temperatures will get progressively cooler after the thunderstorms, with temperatures around 70 on Sunday and highs into the mid-60s by Wednesday and Thursday, according to Shallenberger.

Meteorologist Brian Hutton Jr. of TribLive media partner WTAE-TV said the cold front will bring some rain showers and slightly cooler air.

The National Weather Service is currently only predicting until next Friday, he said, and temperatures are still set to have highs in the mid-60s.

The Pittsburgh region might not see temperatures in the 80s again until the following week, Shallenberger said.

Regular pattern

For May, Shallenberger said erratic temperatures are normal.

“We can get some wild swings in temperatures,” he said. “We’ll be having our warm days just like this and then we’ll get a cold front come through.”

Shallenberger called the back and forth a “blocking type pattern.”

Hutton said spring is a “transitional season” known for temperature variations. It’s normal in both spring and fall for “wild rollercoaster rides” based on fronts coming in.

As of now, below normal temperatures for May are expected through May 29, Shallenberger said.

“Of course, once we get into the summer, we start losing those pushes of cooler weather into the area,” he said.

Memorial Day weekend should bring a change back to normal temperatures for this time of year, according to Shallenberger.

“We won’t start to see things get back to normal until the end of May,” he said.

There are no signs that Western Pennsylvania will stay warm through early June, Hutton said.

“We’ve had a taste of summer this month, but summer here doesn’t usually lock in until late June and July,” he said. “Even then, we can still see ups and downs as cold fronts clip our area, but the extremes should start to be limited.”