Warm temperatures, sunny skies expected in early part of week

The Pittsburgh region will see hints of spring this week as unseasonably warm temperatures arrive.

Breaking out of colder temperatures that struggled to reach past the 40s last weekend, much of Southwestern Pennsylvania is expected to experience temperatures in the mid-50s Monday, according to Chris Leonardi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Moon.

According to the weather service’s Twitter account, as temperatures warm throughout the day, some areas could warm up 30 degrees from morning.

After a cold morning with lows in the upper teens and low 20s, temperatures will warm into the 50s later today. Some locations will experience a 30 to 35 degree temperature swing from this morning! pic.twitter.com/JFiGv2jN4i

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) March 8, 2021

That number will only increase throughout the week, hitting the 60s Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperatures near 70 — which have not been felt by Pittsburghers since Nov. 10, when the high reached 76 degrees — could be coming Thursday, depending on when a potential front bringing rain comes into the area, Leonardi said.

According to the National Weather Service website, there is a 40% chance of rain Thursday.

“We’re going to see a steady warming over the next few days, which is certainly good news for a lot of people,” Leonardi said.

Myranda Fullerton, also a meteorologist with NWS in Moon, noted average temperatures for this time of year typically hover around 46 degrees for a high and 27 degrees for a low.

Those average temperatures could return Friday when Leonardi said the front will reach the area, bringing with it a 70% chance of showers.

Your weather outlook features warmer than average temperature, with plenty of early week sunshine giving way to increased clouds & rain by Thursday. ?️?➡️?️ pic.twitter.com/TDno6bmDet

— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) March 7, 2021

“It will cool off a little behind that front, but by the weekend we’re expecting temperatures mainly in the 40s to around 50s, so no big cold outbreaks are foreseen anytime soon. And we definitely have a few nice days throughout the week here,” he said.

Early predictions for this weekend suggest temperatures could reach a high of 51 degrees Saturday, with a 40% chance of showers. That is expected to decrease to 46 degrees Sunday, bringing with it a 30% chance of snow showers.