Another wet day is expected in the Pittsburgh area as Helene's remains remain

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – It will be a wet day across the Pittsburgh area as remains of Helene continue to linger in western Pennsylvania.

Are there alarm days in the future? Not likely

Consciously: Since last Thursday, Pittsburgh has officially recorded just 0.35 inches of rain due to a dry easterly wind.

We probably didn't see as much rain over the weekend as you think. Officially, only 0.35 inches of rain fell at Pittsburgh Airport in the four days from Thursday to Sunday. Most of it (0.26 inches) fell on Thursday. Totals from Friday to Sunday were less than a tenth of an inch. It continues to rain today, with light showers possible throughout the day. The best chance of rain is this afternoon, but radar continues to show light showers this morning. Rainfall totals today are expected to be around a tenth of an inch to a quarter of an inch.

Nationally, we continue to hear of the horrors of Helene far inland as the storm made landfall. When Helene made landfall last week, we talked about the radar estimated rainfall of 6 to 9 inches and how this would lead to widespread flooding. Unfortunately, one of the worst-case scenarios occurred in this storm, with more than 100 people confirmed dead as of 4 a.m. this morning, according to CBS News. This is simply an unimaginable loss of life. It will likely take years or even decades for these communities to fully recover.

Our week looks to be a wet one, but we could certainly use more rain. The biggest problem for our region is the annoying easterly wind. When air rises, it cools. Cool air cannot transport as much moisture as warm air. Moisture will fall in the form of drizzle on the east side of the Laurels. Once the air west of the Laurels begins to descend, it will be hotter than before liftoff. Sinking dry air is warming about twice as fast as it is cooling on the east side of the Laurels. This is a double whammy for us as the air is now hotter and drier than before. This dry air dries out our existing air mass. What you see on the surface are rainfall amounts well below model data. That was the case all weekend.

As for temperatures, highs today are expected to be in the mid 60s, with morning lows expected to be in the low 60s in most locations. If the sky is overcast, it will remain humid. Winds are blowing from the east at about 5 miles per hour.

Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday will also be in the 60s, with Tuesday looking very similar to today with showers throughout the day. The rain finally stops Wednesday morning as a cool front pushes the remnants of Helene eastward.

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