Worst of severe thunderstorms likely to miss Western Pennsylvania

Monday morning may have been overcast and rainy in the Pittsburgh region, but National Weather Service alerts about possible severe thunderstorms with the potential for hail and isolated tornadoes are likely to miss the region, meteorologists said.

“We have some thunderstorm activity northwest of Pittsburgh at the weather center office, but farther down in Allegheny and Westmoreland, there isn’t much going on,” meteorologist Evan Bookbinder said. “I don’t think we’re going to get warm and unstable enough for (storms) to really affect us here.”

Bookbinder said temperatures today are forecast to reach the upper 70s.

“That’s kind of unusual considering we’ve had a lot of much-warmer days,” he said. “We have a system coming down that could spark a series of storms later this afternoon, but the bulk of severe weather could get pushed down into upper West Virginia and Maryland by the time it really gets going.”

Variability in outcomes remain today, but there is a risk for severe thunderstorms capable of damaging wind (with lower probability for large hail and tornadoes) this afternoon and evening.

The most likely timeframe for severe weather will be 2pm-7pm favoring SE of Pittsburgh. pic.twitter.com/Dt5ZCqx8ne

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) August 7, 2023

Bookbinder said if severe weather hits the area, it will likely come between 4 and 7 p.m.

“As far as tornadoes or hail, I really don’t see that as a potential threat here,” he said. “We may get some brief wind gusts on the borderline of being damaging. But I don’t think we’re going to get warm and unstable enough for (storms) to really affect us here.”