PITTSBURGH -- Temperatures were 20 degrees below normal in Pittsburgh, and winter weather watches and warnings were issued for some areas on Thursday -- a rarity for October.
Weather Watch 4 meteorologist Demetrius Ivory said a storm coming this weekend will by no means be a direct hit, but it could be record-breaking because of its unusual timing.
Never before has Pittsburgh seen measurable snow this early in the season.
The date for earliest accumulation is Oct. 18, more than 30 years ago. So, all that's needed to break the long-standing record is just a fraction of an inch this weekend.
WTAE Channel 4's Jennifer Miele reported on Thursday from Somerset, where mid-October snow was already falling.
By early Thursday evening, Ivory said it appeared that the storm's glancing blow would bring around 1 or 2 inches of snow in the Laurel Highlands and north of Interstate 80, with higher totals near State College and in the Poconos possibly affecting travel to and from the Penn State football game at Beaver Stadium.
Rain is being predicted in the city of Pittsburgh and surrounding suburbs this weekend. Some snow is also possible -- anywhere from a trace to an inch.
But overall, it seems history is on Pittsburgh's side when it comes to October snow.
If all the snow that fell in Pittsburgh during the past 25 Octobers was piled up together, there would barely be a dusting.
Copyright 2009 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
