Marine Weather and Tide Forecast for Ranshaw, PA

KEY MESSAGES
1) Widespread damaging frost/freeze threat across all of central Pennsylvania tonight into Tuesday morning.

2) Drier conditions in the early to middle part of the week may result in a marginal increase in risk of wildfire spread.

3) Trending warmer through the week with only occasional chances for precipitation.

DISCUSSION
KEY MESSAGE 1: Widespread damaging frost/freeze threat across all of central Pennsylvania tonight into Tuesday morning.

Confidence is /very/ high in a widespread freeze tonight into Tues morning due to a combination of high pressure nearby, light wind, and 8H temps in the -5 to -10C range overhead. Lows will range from the upper teens in the typical cold spots across the northwest mountains to near 30 in the Lower Susquehanna Valley.

The growing season has been activated for all but four zones (Tioga/Sullivan/Potter Counties and Northern Lycoming County)
across central Pennsylvania as of 04/18/2026, see the latest Public Info Statement for those details. A Freeze Warning is in effect for all the zones with active growing season.

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KEY MESSAGE 2: Drier conditions in the early to middle part of the week may result in a marginal increase in risk of wildfire spread.

Today will see lower dewpoints work into the area along with gusty northwest winds. A few light snow showers are likely across the northern tier as a shortwave moves overhead and steepens lapse rates, but no accumulation is expected.
Typically such dry air (RH values dropping into the upper 20s to lower 30s percent) and gusty winds (20 to 25 mph) would lead to an elevated risk of wildfire spread, but rainfall over the weekend and chilly temperatures (highs in the upper 30s to low 50s) will largely mitigate concerns today.

The combination of low RH, gusty winds, and some sunshine today should help cure fuels to some extent. Factoring in slightly warmer temperatures on Tuesday (highs in the 50s to low 60s)
could lead to a slight uptick in wildfire risk. Though winds will be comparatively lighter on Tuesday compared to Monday.
The bottom line with all of this is to just use caution if you plan to burn debris or handle any equipment. Only YOU can prevent wildfires.

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KEY MESSAGE 3: Trending warmer through the week with only occasional chances for precipitation.

High pressure will be south of PA starting Tuesday and continuing through the end of the week. As a result, westerly or southwesterly flow rotating around the north side of surface high pressure will usher in increasingly mild temperatures.
Friday is progged to be the warmest day as temperatures rise to near 80F in the southwest corner of our forecast area and into the middle 60s F in the northeast.

A fairly moisture-starved low pressure system will drift across the region on Wednesday, bringing scattered rain showers. There is not much upper level support for thunderstorms at this point, but a few rumbles of thunder cannot be ruled out. QPF should generally remain below a tenth of an inch and Wednesday will certainly not be a washout. The second half of the week looks rainfree as high pressure again takes over. The next considerable chance for rain returns on Saturday.

AVIATION /09Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
Combination of upper level trough and unseasonably cold westerly/upslope flow will bring MVFR to low end VFR cigs and scattered rain/snow showers across most of the airspace this morning through the afternoon. Very brief MVFR to IFR visibility restrictions are possible in the passing showers. It will be breezy especially during the afternoon with sfc wind gusts 20-25kt from 270-330 degrees. High pressure building across the airspace will return widespread VFR conditions and decrease winds later tonight into Tuesday.

Outlook...

Tue-Wed...Scattered rain showers/isolated t-storm possible mainly Tuesday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon.

Thu-Fri...Increasing odds for rain showers Friday-Friday night.

CLIMATE
A very warm March and April has resulted in a record number of 80 degree days so far this year at several climate sites.

Altoona recorded a high temperature of 80F on Saturday. It was the 7th 80+ degree day so far this year. Year to date, that shatters the previous record of 4 days with Max T >= 80F at the site, which occurred in 1976, 1977, and 1998.

March 22: 83F (daily record)
April 04: 80F (daily record)
April 13: 80F April 14: 81F April 15: 84F (daily record)
April 16: 85F April 18: 80F

SITE YTD IN 2026 PREVIOUS RECORD Altoona 7 4 (1976, 1977, 1998)
Harrisburg 8 6 (1945)
State College 6 6 (2010)

Williamsport has recorded 5 day with MaxT >= 80F, which falls shy of the existing record of 7 such days through April 18, 2010.

CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
Freeze Warning until 9 AM EDT this morning for PAZ004-005- 010>012-017>019-024-025-033-034-045-046.
Freeze Warning from midnight tonight to 11 AM EDT Tuesday for PAZ004-005-010>012-017-018.
Freeze Warning from midnight tonight to 9 AM EDT Tuesday for PAZ019-024>028-033>036-045-046-049>053-056>059-063>066.