Lightning TrackerPittsburgh storms: live alerts, hail & tornado history
Live watches and warnings for Pittsburgh, PA, the 48-hour thunderstorm outlook, and every hail, damaging-wind and tornado report within 25 miles since 2016.
Live alerts for Pittsburgh, PA
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Storm outlook, next 48 hours
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Severe weather in Pittsburgh by the numbers
Pittsburgh sits in one of the most active severe-weather areas in the country: since 2016, spotters and emergency managers have filed 1,542 severe-weather reports within 25 miles of the city — 253 hail reports, 1,265 damaging-wind reports and 24 tornado reports. On average that is 17.0 days a year with at least one report.
Storm season here peaks in April, June, August, when 63% of all reports were filed.
In the last 12 months there were 7 hail reports, 85 wind reports and 1 tornado report around Pittsburgh; the largest hail was 1.50″ (walnut / ping pong ball) on Sep 3, 2026.
Latest storm reports near Pittsburgh
| Date | Report | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 13, 2026 | Damaging wind | 20 mi N · Butler Co. |
| Sep 12, 2026 | Damaging wind | 5 mi SE · Allegheny Co. |
| Sep 3, 2026 | Damaging wind | 7 mi S · Allegheny Co. |
| Sep 3, 2026 | Hail 1.50″ | 7 mi SE · Allegheny Co. |
| Sep 2, 2026 | Damaging wind | 16 mi NE · Allegheny Co. |
| Aug 27, 2026 | Damaging wind | 18 mi SE · Westmoreland Co. |
| Aug 22, 2026 | Damaging wind | 13 mi N · Allegheny Co. |
| Aug 16, 2026 | Damaging wind | 4 mi NW · Allegheny Co. |
| Aug 16, 2026 | Tornado | 24 mi W · Beaver Co. |
| Aug 10, 2026 | Damaging wind | 11 mi S · Allegheny Co. |
One line per day and type — the closest report that day. Distance and direction from the city centre. The latest SPC reports are preliminary until NOAA finalises them.
Storm reports by year
Storm season in Pittsburgh
All hail, wind and tornado reports within 25 miles, 2016–2026, by month.
Hail in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh averages 5.2 days a year with hail reported nearby. The biggest stone on record since 2016 was 2.50 inches — about the size of a tennis ball — reported 24 miles from the city centre on Mar 28, 2020. Hail of 1 inch (quarter size) or larger is what makes a thunderstorm severe; see the hail size chart.
Tornadoes near Pittsburgh
There have been 24 tornado reports within 25 miles of Pittsburgh since 2016; the strongest was rated EF2 (Jun 26, 2024, 18 miles from the city centre). A tornado warning means a tornado is occurring or imminent — take shelter immediately.
Storm alerts for Pittsburgh on your iPhone
Lightning Tracker shows storm risk around you, live severe-weather alerts and how close the storm is — free on the App Store.
Storm trackers near Pittsburgh
Questions about storms in Pittsburgh
Does Pittsburgh get a lot of severe storms?
Pittsburgh averages 17.0 days a year with at least one hail, damaging-wind or tornado report within 25 miles, based on NOAA Storm Prediction Center reports 2016–2025.
When is storm season in Pittsburgh?
Most severe-weather reports around Pittsburgh come in April, June, August.
What is the biggest hail recorded near Pittsburgh?
2.50 inches (tennis ball size) on Mar 28, 2020, 24 miles from the city centre.
Have tornadoes hit near Pittsburgh?
Yes — 24 tornado reports within 25 miles since 2016, the strongest rated EF2 on Jun 26, 2024.
How do I get storm alerts for Pittsburgh?
The live panel on this page shows every active National Weather Service watch and warning for Pittsburgh, PA. For alerts on your phone, Lightning Tracker for iPhone shows storm risk and warnings for your location.
How this page works: storm reports are NOAA Storm Prediction Center local storm reports (final database 2016–2025, preliminary daily reports after that) within 25 miles of Pittsburgh, PA. They are reports of hail, damaging wind and tornadoes — not lightning strike counts, which no free public dataset provides at city level. Live alerts come from the National Weather Service API, the outlook from Open-Meteo forecast models. Updated Oct 3, 2026.