The Pittsburgh area is bracing for another round of severe weather following a deadly derecho that struck on Tuesday, April 29, 2025. As residents recover from the storm's aftermath, meteorologists are warning of more potentially harsh weather ahead.
A severe thunderstorm watch was initially in effect for several northern counties, but it has since been canceled. However, a watch remains for Indiana, Somerset, and Westmoreland counties until 11 p.m. on Thursday, May 1, 2025. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued another hazardous weather outlook for Friday afternoon through late evening, citing the potential for damaging winds, large hail, and heavy downpours.
Temperatures began climbing on Thursday afternoon due to a warm front moving through the region, which is also bringing increased moisture. This combination is expected to lead to instability and the potential for isolated storm development as early as 2 to 3 p.m. on Thursday. However, the best chance for more numerous storms is anticipated after 5 to 6 p.m. and continuing through midnight.
According to the NWS, the main threats from the storms include downburst winds of up to 60 mph and hail ranging from the size of peas to half dollars. Fortunately, the tornado threat remains low, although there is still an isolated potential in the northwest counties, where conditions may allow some storms to rotate.
Looking ahead to Friday, May 2, 2025, a cold front associated with the ongoing storm system will be moving in from the northwest. This front is expected to spark additional thunderstorm development, beginning in Ohio and moving southeast into Western Pennsylvania by as early as 4 p.m. While coverage will be isolated to scattered, any storms that do form could contain damaging wind gusts.
As the region grapples with the aftermath of Tuesday's storm, approximately 95,000 customers across Southwestern Pennsylvania are still without power as of Friday morning. Utility companies are working diligently to restore electricity, which was knocked out by downed trees and power lines from the strong winds. Duquesne Light reported that they have restored power to more than 60% of impacted customers, but estimates indicate that it could take up to 5 to 7 days to restore energy across the region.
In light of the outages, public health officials have raised concerns about food safety. Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato warned that food in a full freezer could spoil after 48 hours, while food in a half-full freezer would start to turn in a day. Meat, dairy products, and leftovers should be discarded if they have been without power for more than four hours. Residents are advised to keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed to preserve food as much as possible.
To assist those affected by the power outages and potential food spoilage, Giant Eagle announced a 15% discount on purchases made in Pittsburgh-area supermarkets on Sunday, May 4, 2025. This offer aims to help families restock their refrigerators and pantries, especially given the unplanned and unbudgeted grocery trips many are facing due to the widespread outages. Customers will receive a coupon upon entering the store or at checkout, although certain items such as milk, alcohol, fuel, and gift cards will be excluded from the discount.
As the week progresses, forecasters predict that the overall storm threat will diminish after midnight on Thursday, with cloudy skies expected to continue into Friday morning. Some isolated rain showers or drizzle may occur, but winds will shift to the southwest on Friday afternoon, allowing warmer and drier air to move in and leading to some clearing skies.
The cold front that moves in Friday night is expected to stall over the area, and a second low-pressure system will move in from the west on Saturday. Most weather models indicate that this low will stall and meander westward throughout the weekend and into the middle of next week. Meteorologists refer to this as a cutoff low, which will be removed from the jet stream and forced to spin around until something picks it up and carries it away. This pattern suggests that each day next week will have a chance for showers and storms, although it won’t rain continuously.
As the community continues to recover from the severe weather, local officials urge residents to stay informed about the weather and to be prepared for further storms. The large-scale weather pattern is expected to shift around next Thursday or Friday, May 8 or 9, 2025, which could bring some relief from the ongoing storm threats.
