Saturday's 70-degree temperature breaks 130-year-old record

Paul Moylett said he’s fished the Allegheny River plenty of times at a spot under the Tarentum Bridge — but never in January.

Moylett, 44, of Tarentum was among scores of Western Pennsylvania residents taking advantage of Saturday’s unseasonably balmy weather as temperatures soared to a record level.

“I have fished in January, mostly down in Florida,” said Moylett, the curator of aquatic life at the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium. “This would be my first time fishing up here in January. It’s a pretty good spot.”

Saturday’s 70-degree temperatures smashed a 130-year-old record, according to the National Weather Service.

At 4 p.m., it was 70 degrees at the Pittsburgh International Airport, and meteorologist Bill Modzelewski said it could climb to 71 by evening.

“The old record was 68 and that was set in 1890,” he said. “There’s a chance that we might get another degree out of that before this evening.”

The weather service issued a wind advisory from 11 p.m. Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday with occasional 50 mph gusts.

Modzelewski said temperatures should be in the 50s through midweek before dipping into the 30s on Thursday with scattered rain and snow showers.

Don Ruper, 76, of Harrison, who was fishing on the riverbank near Moylett, said he’s been catching walleye, bass and a variety of other fish under the bridge for years.

“You should have been here when I caught the 22¹⁄₂-inch large-mouth bass,” he said. “I never remember it being in the 60s in January.”

Memorial Park in New Kensington was a popular spot as residents headed outdoors Saturday afternoon.

“It’s a beautiful day,” said Kathy Kowalski, 68, of New Kensington. “I’ve been coming to this park my whole life. I had my second birthday party here.”

At the park’s dek hockey rink, Nick Gabrielli of Vandergrift and Jordan Bernard and Luke Russman, both of North Huntingdon, all 19, were hitting shots into a goal.

“Hitting 70 degrees in January, it doesn’t seem right,” Gabrielli said.

Dylan Gentile and Nick Bussard, both 15 and of New Kensington, were smacking around a ball at the nearby tennis court.

“We were down here one other time last week,” said Bussard, who was wearing shorts. “It was super cold.”

Shannon Moret, 50, of Lower Burrell, had on shorts and a T-shirt while strolling along a park walking path.

“It’s beautiful,” she said.

Shawn Moore, 37, of Lower Burrell said Saturday was a good day to take down his Christmas lights. He also cleaned out the roof gutters.

“My daughter’s sitting in the house playing video games,” he said. “I said, ‘Do you realize it’s 70 degrees outside.’ ”