PENS ON 11: Big weather changes precede game

PITTSBURGH — The Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins will take to the national stage Saturday when they meet up with the Philadelphia Flyers for the Stadium Series at Heinz Field.

With the recent stretch of spring-like warmth, it has drawn a few concerns for the outdoor game.

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Temperatures have pushed well above the average high for this time of year. Over the past week, six days have hit 60 degrees or more, with the 70s already in place Friday.

The surge of warm air isn’t the only concern for the hockey game this weekend. Thunderstorms are expected to fire up late Friday night.

“The Storm Prediction Center has the western half of the Pittsburgh area in a marginal risk for severe weather late Friday night,” said

“Just the far eastern counties are in that risk Saturday.”

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A strong cold front will push into the Ohio-Pennsylvania zone late Friday night, triggering the storms. The timing of the front will limit instability.

“Even though much of the system will pass  very late Friday night and early Saturday, strong storms are still possible,” said Severe Weather Team 11 chief meteorologist Stephen Cropper. "The main impacts will be heavy rain and winds gusting to more than 30 mph.”

The best chance for storms will be Saturday between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m.

The good news is that the storms will move out before the game begins. However, even though the heavy rain will have wrapped up, an isolated shower is not out of the question. Isolated flurries are more likely due to the colder air wrapping in.

On top of that, fans will feel a big difference when it comes to the temperature. After a high in the 70s Friday, temperatures will start to fall and won’t start to rise again until Sunday.

The warmest part of Saturday will be around midnight and the temperature will drop through the afternoon. Thanks to gusty winds, the wind chill will make it feel more like the upper 20s to low 30s during the game.

The puck drops at 8 p.m. Saturday, and Severe Weather Team 11 has fans covered. Harbaugh will be at Heinz Field for live updates. You can also follow the rest of Severe Weather Team 11 for any weather changes leading up to the game.

Cox Media Group