Scott Harbaugh: 80s in October

80 degrees in the middle of October?  It is certainly not unheard of around here, but it is a bit on the rare side.  Pittsburgh has seen two true October heat waves since records have been kept in the 1870s.  A heat wave, in October, is usually considered to be three consecutive days at or more than 80 degrees for high temperatures.  October 14-16, 1897, averaged 87 degrees for the high over the three-day period.  Just last year, 2007, we had a six-day stretch from October 4-9 with high temperatures averaging 85 degrees.  Enjoy it while it lasts.  High temperatures by the end of the week will be in the 50s.