Rainy and stormy weather expected today throughout the Pittsburgh area

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Rainy and stormy conditions are expected to move through the Pittsburgh area today.

Any Alert Days Ahead? Today is a First Alert Weather Day due to stormy weather being possible.  Will continue with just a Potential First Alert Weather Day for Wednesday

Aware: Yesterday's 1/5" of an inch of rain has us now up to 2.06" for the month. We are 1.94" behind the normal monthly pace so far.

Much-needed rain is expected today, Wednesday, and Thursday with data pointing to most communities seeing around an inch to an inch and a half of rain through midnight on Friday.  For the month so far we are nearly 2 inches behind the 'normal' total rain.  This late-month rain will go a long way to alleviate the drought conditions that have settled in.

As of 4 a.m., a midlevel low was anchored over Saginaw along I-75.  A warm front extends from the low through State College moving to the east.  The cold front for the system is just north of Dayton and extends through Detroit. We are in the warm sector and are already seeing storms that have developed.  Downpours have been plentiful through 6 a.m.

Expect one if not two more rounds of rain to work their way through our area. Model data has been unreliable so far on timing on the bands but I feel fairly confident that one of the bands will come through during the evening rush this afternoon slowing traffic once again.

Rain and storm chances go up on Wednesday and Thursday.  Both days are included under NOAA's SPC convective outlook map shaded as a level 1 risk out of 5.  This means that severe weather cannot be ruled out.  Interestingly enough, our actual rain chance will go down on Wednesday with most of the day being dry, even as our severe weather risk increases.  Strong winds are the main concern.

Highs today will be in the low 80s.  We should see highs jump to the upper 80s to near 90 degrees for the rest of the week so just giving you a heads-up it's going to be hot and steamy.

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