PITTSBURGH \u2014 When hundreds of thousands of fans flock to Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft, they could learn quickly just how fast the weather can change in the Steel City.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s what history tells us about our local weather\u2019s habits.<\/p>\n
RELATED COVERAGE >>> The NFL Draft is approaching in Pittsburgh. Here\u2019s what we know about the campus so far<\/a><\/p>\n This year, it\u2019s been a wild start to spring, and one example of how volatile our weather can be this time of year.<\/p>\n This is a look at the average high temperature between the dates of April 23 and 25 \u2014 this year\u2019s draft dates \u2014 over the last five years:<\/p>\n 2025 – 80 degrees2024 – 62 degrees2023 – 49 degrees2022 – 82.7 degrees2021 – 60 degrees<\/p>\n You can see we\u2019ve been anywhere from 49 degrees to over 82 degrees on average in 2022.<\/p>\n RELATED COVERAGE >>>These are the roads that will close for the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh<\/a><\/p>\n So, it\u2019s not just the range in temperature we need to be prepared for, but also the change in weather conditions this time of year.<\/p>\n \u201cThis has been a bit of an above-active March so far in terms of severe weather. Flooding, not so much, which (is a) good thing \u2014 crossing our fingers it stays that way,\u201c Matt Brody said.<\/p>\n Brody is a forecaster at the National Weather Service in Pittsburgh, the folks who issue warnings you get on your Severe Weather Team 11 app.<\/p>\n They\u2019ve noticed an uptick in severe weather this season, but also remind folks that the peak typically doesn\u2019t happen until late spring.<\/p>\n \u201cOur peak severe weather season doesn\u2019t come until May, June, July,\u201d Brody said, \u201cBut in those transition months, with how volatile the atmosphere can be, those can be times where we can get severe weather outbreaks, and we\u2019ve seen everything from damaging wind to large hail to meteorites in the last couple of weeks. So, we\u2019ve really had it all.\u201d<\/p>\n RELATED COVERAGE >>>\u2018Steelers Country\u2019: Immersive fan experience coming to Point State Park for Pittsburgh NFL Draft<\/a><\/p>\n Regardless of when, it\u2019s a good reminder for those headed to the draft to stay weather aware. <\/p>\n Who can forget what happened last April? On April 29, a rare derecho plowed through the area, bringing widespread wind gusts over 70 miles per hour and leaving hundreds of thousands without power.<\/p>\n Just two years ago, we had our wettest April on record, which led to a crest of 28.37 feet along the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, the highest since Hurricane Ivan in September of 2004.<\/p>\n And don\u2019t forget, it can snow too. While rare, there has been measurable snow recorded in late April.<\/p>\n \u201cStatistically, going back to 2005, where we had 2 inches of snow that fell between the 23rd, 24th and 25th, (it) goes to show that we can have any swing from severe weather to start the month to snow to end the month, and that\u2019s kind of how April goes around here,\u201d Brody said.<\/p>\n RELATED COVERAGE >>>Will NFL Draft reality meet expectations for economic impact?<\/a><\/p>\n While we can\u2019t say specifically yet how the weather will be during the NFL Draft, we can look at global weather patterns to give you an idea of how things are trending for the end of April.<\/p>\n Right now, the expectation is that much of the southern and southeastern U.S. will be warmer than average, with our area kind of right on the cusp. <\/p>\n RELATED COVERAGE >>>\u2018PicksBURGH\u2019 celebrations revealed for NFL Draft week in Downtown Pittsburgh<\/a><\/p>\n So, at this point, I\u2019d say it\u2019s fair to assume we\u2019ll be close to average as we approach the NFL Draft, and when we look at rainfall, there\u2019s not a big signal there right now, which is good because we don\u2019t want too much rain leading up to the draft.<\/p>\n Of course, our weather changes a lot day to day, so over the next couple of weeks, make sure you stay tuned to our updates, and make sure you have the Severe Weather Team 11 app for the latest forecasts.<\/p>\n Download the FREE WPXI News app<\/a> for breaking news alerts.<\/p>\n Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook<\/a> and Twitter<\/a>. | Watch WPXI NOW<\/a><\/p>\n TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS <\/p>\n \u00a92026 Cox Media Group<\/p>\n