Pittsburgh region expected to see milder winter than usual

Some people in the Pittsburgh region woke up Tuesday morning to a light dusting of snow, but the region is behind on its annual average for the white stuff — and it might see less of it this winter, according to the National Weather Service in Moon.

NWS meteorologist Lee Hendricks said areas near Crooked Creek Lake in Armstrong County had about an inch of snow on the ground Tuesday morning, but other parts of the region had far less. He said the Moon site recorded its first snowfall of the season, with just three-tenths of an inch. Other areas of the region experienced their first snow of the season earlier this month.

“Elsewhere in the region, by and large, it looks like it’s just a trace,” Hendricks said.

The forecast is anticipating more snowfall during the day Tuesday, he said, “but we’re really not looking for any accumulation.”

Temperatures are hovering around the average for the area at this time of year, Hendricks said. The high Monday reached 45 degrees and the low was 30. On average, temperatures for this time of year range from lows of around 31 to highs of around 46.

“It’s pretty close to actually being normal,” Hendricks said.

But snowfall is lagging behind the average so far this year. On average, the region tallies about 2 inches of snow by this point. Last year, the area saw about 3.3 inches of snow by this date, Hendricks said. So far this year, the region has seen just three-tenths of an inch of snow, he said.

“We have a fairly strong El Niño starting up,” he said. “What that means for our area is slightly milder than normal temperatures and drier than normal precipitation.”

El Niño, Hendricks explained, is a condition characterized by abnormally warm sea surface temperatures through the tropical Pacific, eastern Pacific and West Coast. When that occurs, our region sees milder temperatures and drier conditions.

It’s cold now, Hendricks said, but temperatures are expected to rise over the coming days, with highs forecast to be in the 40s by Friday. By Monday, the high temperature will likely reach the low 50s.

In December, temperatures are expected to stay close to or slightly above average, he said.

From December through February, the National Weather Service is estimating about a 40% chance for above normal temperatures and a 33% chance for below normal precipitation, Hendricks said.

Still, people should be winterizing their homes and turning off outdoor water lines by this time of year, Hendricks said. Before 8 a.m. Tuesday, he said, the temperature at the NWS office in Moon was 22 degrees but the wind chill made it feel like 12 degrees.

“If you’re going to be outside for any length of time, you should cover your head and your ears and make sure as much skin is covered as possible,” he said, adding that it’s also unsafe to leave pets outside in such temperatures.

Hendricks said it’s unclear when the region may see the first snowfall with significant accumulation, but it won’t be in the immediate future.