Instead of a white Christmas, Western Pennsylvania got a wet Christmas, and the region is in for a soggy New Year’s Day as well, according to weather forecasters.
Allegheny, Westmoreland, Washington and Beaver counties were part of a hazardous weather advisory released early New Year’s Day by the National Weather Service.
And while the past few rainy days have not saturated the ground, the strength of Saturday’s rainfall is a concern.
“The intensity of the rainfall later today is going to be stronger than what we typically see,” said NWS Meteorologist Jenna Lake. “And it won’t give rain the time it needs to soak into the ground, so we may see some accumulation of water on roadways, some ponding, and flooding in areas which are prone to that.”
NWS radar shows a strong storm front stretching all the way from Arkansas northeast to Charleston, W.Va., with a much smaller front just ahead that is currently making its way through the region.
The forecast calls for between three-quarters and 1 inch of new rainfall today, with up to an additional half-inch coming tonight.
“The amount falling, and the intensity, is what has the potential for hazardous conditions today,” Lake said.
Sunday’s forecast calls for temperatures falling down to the mid-30s by about 5 p.m., with a low of 22 degrees overnight heading into Monday.
