Southwestern Pa. sets record high of 81 degrees on Election Day

As voters turned out to polling locations across Southwestern Pennsylvania, unseasonably warm weather graced the region.

Temperatures reached 81 degrees in the Pittsburgh area about 3:15 p.m., beating the previous 80-degree record high temperature for Nov. 5 set in 1948, said National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Kennedy.

“It’s been warm for a while now, generally,” Kennedy said. “We’ve just kind of been stuck in this pattern.”

Though temperatures fell into the 30s just two days ago, Pittsburgh’s average high temperature for the first week of November is the sixth warmest since 1870, he said.

Paired with dry conditions and wind gusts, the warm weather has generated an increased risk for brush fires, the National Weather Service said Monday.

Pittsburgh has not seen rain amounting to at least one-tenth of an inch since Oct. 6. Dry leaves, sticks and twigs, combined with low humidity, could result in fires.

Dry weather also could pose a threat to the Beaver Run Reservoir in Bell and Washington townships, which saw drought-like conditions this year.

With much of Pennsylvania abnormally dry, the Pennsylvania Game Commission is temporarily prohibiting the building of fires on state game lands. While camping on state game lands is prohibited, regulations allow game lands users to build small fires for cooking or warming purposes.

“Taking this one, small step now to address wildfire risk could prevent a larger problem as we get deeper into the heart of hunting season,” Game Commission Executive Director Steve Smith said in a statement Tuesday. “Doing what we can to protect wildlife habitat in what might be a hunter’s favorite spot benefits both, and might make all the difference.”

But dangerous dry conditions might take a turn for the better this week, with rain and temperatures in the mid- to low-60s in the forecast, Kennedy said.

“We do have a cold front approaching,” he said. “We’ll see some rain tomorrow morning.”