Pleasant weather returns to Pittsburgh on Friday, but a heat wave looms
Humidity breaks today, even as high temperatures go up. Earlier this week, model data was showing today's high being cooler than yesterday's high. I didn't bite and kept today's temperature warmer than yesterday's, and it looks like a good call at this point.
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The one thing that will be noticeably lower than yesterday will be dew points and oppressive humidity. Dew points are all the way down in the upper 50s right now, and that's about where they will be all day today.
This has allowed morning temperatures to dip to near 60 to start the day. There was some valley fog due to the cool temperatures and saturated ground this morning.
The pleasant weather will continue into the afternoon with highs hitting the mid-80s. I have noon temperatures near 80 degrees. Winds will be light, coming in out of the west at around 5mph. Expect lots of sunshine today, but a pesky shower or storm chance will persist this afternoon.
I think almost everyone is dry, with the best chance for seeing a brief storm happening north of Cranberry and after 3 this afternoon.
Saturday will be a transition day with us starting off with pleasant conditions, but humidity will go up throughout the day. I have Saturday highs hitting 87°.
Our first potential heat wave of the year arrives on Sunday, with temperatures flirting with 90 degrees all the way through at least next Sunday. History tells us that we likely won't see eight straight days with highs in the 90s, but it will certainly be possible. At this point, it doesn't look like we get too close to an overall record high temperature day in Pittsburgh.
We'd have to hit 95° in order to set a record (Monday, Thursday) next week, and I don't have us getting to 93°. We may hit what we call a record max-min. This would be the hottest low temperature. Right now I have us tying the max-min record of 74° on Tuesday.
Right now is the time to prepare for the heat, including checking a/c units to make sure they're working properly. You can also clean fan blades. Eating cool foods can also help to cool your body's internal temperature.
Finally, cold showers are one of the best ways to stay cool in your home, both before and after it. If you can't get relief while at your home, head to your local library.
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