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Several Rain, Snow Chances Possible In Western Pa. Through Friday

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – There's great news for area ski resorts as winter isn't done just yet for Western Pennsylvania.

An upper low will pull in cold air from the north starting today and continuing through the weekend. Long-range model data shows this cool weather pattern sticking around for much of March.

Starting today, and continuing through Friday, we will see the upper low deepen and move right over Western Pennsylvania. Today, that means a rain chance. For Wednesday, you should expect a rain and snow chance.

The best chance for rain will be before 4 p.m., while the best chance for snow will be after 4 p.m. That will be followed by all snow falling Thursday and on Friday.

KDKA-TV Meteorologist Ron Smiley expects Saturday to be dry for now. However, with an upper low his confidence remains low that it will actually happen.

This system will also absorb an area of low pressure off the East Coast.  This system will become another Nor'easter bringing snow chances to coastal communities.  While the upper low is expected to churn to the north at this point, it will pull down cooler air from Canada.  This will keep our weather pattern cold for a big portion of the month - at least through March 20.

precipitation outlook
(Photo Credit: KDKA)

The center of the low is expected to retrograde (movement opposite normal movement) to the northwest before sinking down to the south again.  This means we get to double dip on the same nasty system with more rain and snow expected Sunday through Wednesday.

While snow and rain will be back in the forecast, it will be important to keep an eye on surface temperatures.  Snow coming down in temperatures above 32 degrees won't stick around for long.

This is why Smiley doesn't think Pittsburgh will see much accumulation.  At this point, it does look like we have to expect some accumulation.

Elevated areas and places north of Interstate 80 could potentially see up to 4 inches of snow.

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