Laurel Mountain Ski Resort Snow Report

998 FXUS61 KPBZ 300600 AFDPBZ Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 200 AM EDT Sun Aug 30 2026 .WHAT HAS CHANGED... No major changes were made to the latest forecast. && .KEY MESSAGES... 1) Increasing heat and humidity through mid week 2) Periodic shower and thunderstorm chances north of Pittsburgh tonight and continuing early this week, expanding across the entire area by mid week. Severe storms are also possible by mid week. && .DISCUSSION... KEY MESSAGE 1... Model ensembles indicate a ridge will build slowly eastward from the Central CONUS through mid week. The increasing 500mb heights, and srly flow, will begin the increase in heat and humidity later today. The continued rising 500mb heights will continue through mid week, with increasing temperatures each day. The hottest days are expected to be Tuesday and Wednesday, when highs reach the upper 80s to lower 90s across much of the area outside of the higher terrain. Heat indices are expected to peak in the mid to upper 90s on Wednesday, with a few readings near 100 possible. These higher readings will be highly dependent on the strength of the ridge, and any convection that could limit surface heating. KEY MESSAGE 2... Clouds will increase today ahead of an approaching shortwave. This wave is progged to track southeast across the Lower Great Lakes region tonight into Monday on the northeast periphery of the ridge, with shower and possible thunderstorm chances north of Pittsburgh. Another wave is possible late Tuesday, resulting in shower and thunderstorm chances mainly near and north of I-80. Extent and exact location of POPs will be dependent on the strength and northern extent of the ridge. The ridge is progged to retrograde to the west from mid to late week, resulting in NW flow aloft across the Upper Ohio Valley region. Embedded shortwaves in the flow should result in increasing shower and thunderstorm chances area wide, especially late Wednesday into Thursday. With instability and increasing flow aloft increasing shear, severe thunderstorms will be possible. Current ML guidance and SPC outlooks indicate the late Wednesday through Thursday would be the greatest potential for strong to severe storms. Uncertainty remains in the exact details of convection timing and placement, and depends on the breakdown of the ridge. && .AVIATION /06Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... VFR is expected today with high pressure centered along the Mid Atlantic coast. Increasing mid and high clouds are expected through the day in warm advection, and ahead of an approaching shortwave trough. The CU rule and model soundings indicate a few to scattered cumulus clouds should develop today. This trough is expected to track across the northeastern periphery of a ridge building across the central CONUS tonight into Monday, with scattered showers affecting FKL and DUJ. A thunderstorm is possible, though instability appears limited. Outlook... General VFR is expected for much of the area through mid week under a building ridge. Areas mainly north of PIT could see a few showers or thunderstorms Tuesday and Tuesday night as a wave tracks across the NE periphery of the ridge. The ridge should break down later Wednesday and Thursday, with shower and thunderstorm chances increasing across the region with crossing shortwave trough in NW flow aloft. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...None. OH...None. WV...None. && $$ DISCUSSION...WM AVIATION...WM