Near record-breaking heat on way to Western Pennsylvania

The Pittsburgh region can expect near record high temperatures on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Meteorologist John Darnley said the high could reach 91 on Tuesday. That is 3 degrees below the region’s record high for June 9, set in 1933.

Wednesday also will approach record heat. Darnley said he expects the high on Wednesday to reach 90. The record high of 94 for that date occurred in 1911.

The upcoming toasty temperatures will come from a tropical air mass sweeping through the region, Darnley said. He said this heat wave also will affect parts of Ohio and Virginia.

These will mark the first 90-degree days in Pittsburgh since September, according to the weather service.

At Sylvan Pool in Natrona Heights, manager Nancy Tarella said she is ready for warmer weather. The pool opened Saturday.

“It’s hard to predict when it’s really hot,” Tarella said. “A lot of people come, and a lot of people say it’s too hot.”

Crowd capacity at the pool is 300 during the covid-19 pandemic.

For Tarella, temperatures this high also bring a wave of concerns for her staff. She said she worries about lifeguards and kitchen staff overheating. She keeps water bottles, frozen food and fruit on hand to help her workers fight the heat.

She also plans to have extra lifeguards on call Tuesday so they can take longer breaks during the heat wave.

“Parents need to be responsible for their children, but I’m responsible for a staff of 30 people,” she said.

The warm temperatures won’t last long, though. Darnley said colder air from the Great Lakes region will roll in by Thursday, when the high is expected to reach only 74.