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Data: Climate Central; Map: Axios Visuals

If you're breaking out the Claritin early, you're not alone. Pittsburgh's spring allergy season is getting longer and stronger.

Why it matters: About a quarter of U.S. adults swap fresh spring air for runny noses, itchy throats and puffy eyes as pollination season begins.

Scientists say climate change-linked weather fluctuations, like heat waves during normally colder months, means earlier allergies. 

Driving the news: The freeze-free growing season lengthened between 1970 and 2024 in nearly 90% of the 198 cities analyzed by Climate Central.

Pittsburgh's freeze-free season grew by 22 days, slightly above the 20-day average among analyzed cities.

Between the lines: "Climate change makes pollen seasons not only longer, but also more intense due to heat-trapping pollution," per Climate Central's report.

"Higher levels of planet-warming CO2 in the air can boost pollen production in plants, particularly in grasses and ragweed."

Zoom in: Pittsburgh's spring allergy season typically starts late March-early April. The region's pollen count currently remains on the low-medium end, per Pollen.com, but it's expected to rise in the coming weeks.

Oak, elm, birch, walnut and maple trees, plus timothy grass, are among Pittsburgh's biggest triggers.

Rain doesn't always clear the air. Some pollen fragments can linger for up to 11 hours after heavy downpours and drift deep into the lungs, worsening allergies, per research supported by the National Science Foundation.

Worth noting: Pets can get seasonal allergies, too, often showing up as itchy skin. If your dog or cat starts licking or scratching more when spring rolls around, it might be time to check in with your vet.

How it works: Climate Central uses the freeze-free period, the number of consecutive days with minimum temperatures above 32°F, as a proxy for allergy season.

Threat level: Nationwide pollen production stands to dramatically increase alongside high CO2 pollution, per a 2022 study highlighted in the report.

The bottom line: Pass the tissues, would ya?

Pittsburgh's allergy season is getting longer

If you're breaking out the Claritin early, you're not alone.

Illustration of tiny toy people climbing up a mountain of pollen with a large flower growing from the middle

If you&#x27;re breaking out the Claritin early, you&#x27;re not alone. Pittsburgh&#x27;s spring allergy season is getting longer and stronger.Why it matters: About a quarter of U.S. adults swap fresh spring air for runny noses, itchy throats and puffy eyes as pollination season begins.

Environment

Climate

Temperatures will soar well past the 90s for the next few days in Southwest Pennsylvania.

Why it matters: Allegheny County issued a Code Red heat advisory on Monday, meaning people without air conditioning, health systems, industries and infrastructure will be endangered by high heat, according to the National Weather Service.

The big picture: A "heat dome" is hovering over much of the eastern half of the U.S., trapping warm air over the area for an extended period.

Zoom in: Local highs push above 90s starting Tuesday and could rise to near 100 degrees by Thursday or Friday, according to the weather service.

It will feel even hotter than that due to the high humidity.

Thunderstorm chances arrive Friday and will linger through the weekend and could impact Fourth of July celebrations.

State of play: The city of Pittsburgh activated its five cooling centers across the city to give public access to air conditioning to those who need it.

Search for other cooling centers outside the city here.

What's next: Temperatures above 90 degrees are forecast through Sunday. It's too soon to tell when exactly the heat dome will end.

Heat wave pushes Pittsburgh toward 100 degrees

Dangerous heat will grip the region for days, with little overnight relief.

Illustration of the Pittsburgh skyline under a hot sun.

Temperatures will soar well past the 90s for the next few days in Southwest Pennsylvania.Why it matters: Allegheny County issued a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Code Red heat advisory" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wtae.com/article/allegheny-county-code-red-heat-advisory-week-of-june-29/71761548#:~:text=in%20your%20inbox.-,Allegheny%20County%20said%20a%20%22code%20red%22%20heat%20advisory%20has%20been,to%20reach%20above%2090%20degrees.&amp;text=Officials%20said%20due%20to%20anticipated,%2C%20to%20Wednesday%2C%20July%201." data-vars-content-id="9cb9ac91-9ee5-4075-a040-06320b8636c7" data-vars-headline="Heat wave pushes Pittsburgh toward 100 degrees" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wtae.com/article/allegheny-county-code-red-heat-advisory-week-of-june-29/71761548#:~:text=in%20your%20inbox.-,Allegheny%20County%20said%20a%20%22code%20red%22%20heat%20advisory%20has%20been,to%20reach%20above%2090%20degrees.&amp;text=Officials%20said%20due%20to%20anticipated,%2C%20to%20Wednesday%2C%20July%201." target="_blank">Code Red heat advisory</a> on Monday, meaning people without air conditioning, health systems, industries and infrastructure will be endangered by high heat, according to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="National Weather Service" data-vars-click-url="https://x.com/NWSWPC/status/2071324549111558175/photo/1" data-vars-content-id="9cb9ac91-9ee5-4075-a040-06320b8636c7" data-vars-headline="Heat wave pushes Pittsburgh toward 100 degrees" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://x.com/NWSWPC/status/2071324549111558175/photo/1" target="_blank">National Weather Service</a>.

News

Data: Glassdoor; Note: Rank includes 65 metro areas with at least 1,000 salary submissions; Chart: Axios Visuals

Pittsburgh's entry-level wage growth is increasing faster than the typical city.

Why it matters: The Steel City's early career wages grew 4.9% annually on average between 2020 and October 2025, according to Glassdoor's report, beating Rust Belt contemporaries like Cincinnati (4.4%), Detroit (3.9%) and Milwaukee (4.6%).

How it works: That's based on more than 5 million salary data points from Glassdoor users "with 0-4 years of relevant experience in their current job from January 2020 through October 31, 2025," and among metro areas with at least 1,000 salary data points per year.

Context: The median growth rate across all cities studied was 4.6%, according to Glassdoor.

Zoom in: Pittsburgh's average 2025 earnings for workers with 0-4 years of experience are $63,300, growing 27% since 2020.

This entry-level wage growth contrasts with the region's overall wage growth, which is lagging compared to national averages.

Zoom out: Provo, Utah, led the nation in 7% growth, followed by Boise, Idaho (+5.5%), and Orlando, Florida (+5.4%).

Tulsa, Oklahoma (+3.2%); Des Moines, Iowa (+3.4%); and Birmingham, Alabama (+3.4%) were the lowest.

The big picture: "It's difficult to start your career during a soft labor market, but there is a silver lining: Earnings growth is on the rise for workers with 0-4 years of experience, and 2026 will be the first year that these workers' purchasing power exceeds 2020 levels," per Glassdoor's report.

Pittsburgh early career wages rising faster than U.S. average

Entry-level pay in Pittsburgh grew 4.9% annually from 2020 to 2025, per Glassdoor data.

A bar chart showing average annual early-career salary growth from 2020 to 2025, using Glassdoor salary submissions. Provo, Utah, leads with 7% growth. Tulsa, Oklahoma, has the slowest growth at 3.2%. In the Pittsburgh metro area, salaries are growing by 4.9% each year.

Pittsburgh&#x27;s entry-level wage <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="growth" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/03/20/pittsburgh-city-job-growth-2024" data-vars-content-id="b54a87d4-b604-4582-87bb-b60ad06d1b4a" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh early career wages rising faster than U.S. average" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/03/20/pittsburgh-city-job-growth-2024" target="_self">growth</a> is increasing faster than the typical city.Why it matters: The Steel City&#x27;s early career wages grew 4.9% annually on average between 2020 and October 2025, according to<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" Glassdoor&#x27;s report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/worklife-trends-2026/" data-vars-content-id="b54a87d4-b604-4582-87bb-b60ad06d1b4a" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh early career wages rising faster than U.S. average" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/worklife-trends-2026/" target="_blank"> Glassdoor&#x27;s report</a>, beating Rust Belt contemporaries like Cincinnati (4.4%), Detroit (3.9%) and Milwaukee (4.6%).

Latest news on Wall Street, Corporate America and financial regulation.

Business

Data: Texas A&M Transportation Institute; Note: Includes metro areas with at least 500k residents in 2024, and drivers who typically travel during peak periods; Chart: Axios Visuals

Traffic is getting worse in metro Pittsburgh — drivers now spend nearly 18% more time stuck in congestion than before the pandemic, a new report finds.

Why it matters: The findings put numbers to a familiar headache: as traffic rebounds from its pandemic lull, Western Pennsylvania's web of bridges and tunnels creates chronic chokepoints.

Steep hills, narrow streets and aging infrastructure only make it worse.

State of play: The average driver in the Pittsburgh area spent 53 hours sitting in traffic in 2024, per the Texas A&M Transportation Institute's 2025 Urban Mobility Report. That's eight more hours than in 2019 and the highest since the earliest measurement in 1982.

By the numbers: Pittsburgh-area commuters wasted more than 17 million gallons of gas last year sitting bumper-to-bumper. That's 20 gallons per Pittsburgh driver.

The average driver lost $1,450 in productivity and wasted fuel due to congestion last year.

Context: Congestion is growing in many cities after a pandemic-era dip, while driver behavior has also changed, per the report.

Zoom in: Traditional rush hours are making a comeback, but there's been a notable uptick in midday congestion, the report finds. The shift may stem from remote and hybrid work altering when and how people travel.

In Pittsburgh, traffic is highest between 7am-9am and 2pm–6pm on weekdays.

The big picture: Pittsburghers aren't alone. The average U.S. commuter is spending a record 63 hours each year stuck in traffic.

It's getting harder to predict when it'll be busy out on the roads, leading to "added traveler frustration," per the report.

What's next: The report lays out several potential solutions, including roadway expansions, better public transportation, new traffic-management technologies and more.

Pittsburgh traffic congestion is worse than ever

Drivers are losing more time and fuel sitting  in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Illustration of a road sign with a snail icon on it.

Traffic is getting worse in metro Pittsburgh — drivers now spend nearly 18% more time stuck in congestion than before the pandemic, a new report finds.Why it matters: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="The findings" data-vars-click-url="https://mobility.tamu.edu/umr/congestion-data/" data-vars-content-id="c28905c7-ede5-403e-ad88-92c6e7be79b1" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh traffic congestion is worse than ever" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://mobility.tamu.edu/umr/congestion-data/" target="_blank">The findings</a> put numbers to a familiar headache: as traffic rebounds from its pandemic lull, Western Pennsylvania&#x27;s web of bridges and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tunnels" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/05/22/drivers-slow-tunnels-traffic-pittsburgh" data-vars-content-id="c28905c7-ede5-403e-ad88-92c6e7be79b1" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh traffic congestion is worse than ever" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/05/22/drivers-slow-tunnels-traffic-pittsburgh" target="_self">tunnels</a> creates chronic chokepoints.

Transit

Pittsburgh restaurants on DoorDash were more likely to stay open year over year than those nationwide, per company data shared with Axios.

Why it matters: Some churn is normal, even healthy. But when too few restaurants survive, the local economy takes a hit — losing one of its biggest drivers.

The big picture: Pennsylvania's 26,000+ restaurants are projected to pull in $50 billion in sales this year, up from $46 billion in 2024, per the National Restaurant Association, Axios Philly reports — with Pittsburgh's metro area projected to account for over $10 billion in statewide sales.

The restaurant industry is Pennsylvania's fourth-largest private employer, supporting about half a million jobs — including more than 106,000 in the Pittsburgh metro area.

Driving the news: Pittsburgh's 93.6% resiliency rate topped the national average of 93%, edging out Philly (92.8%) but trailing top performers like Lincoln, Nebraska (97.3%) and Anaheim, California (95.7%), which had some of the nation's best 1-year retention rates, per DoorDash.

Zoom in: Dozens of new restaurants have debuted throughout the city this year, but at least two dozen have shut their doors in the process.

How it works: DoorDash's new State of Local Commerce report tracked restaurant and retail trends across the 100 largest U.S. cities, analyzing which restaurants open in September 2024 remained open a year later.

Reality check: Surviving a year matters, but closure rates rise over time.

The bottom line: Running a restaurant is tough even in the best of times — and with rising costs and cash-strapped consumers, this isn't the best of times.

Restaurant scene stays hot despite headwinds

Pittsburgh restaurants prove more resilient than most.

Map of U.S. cities showing share of restaurants remaining open from Sept 2024 to Sept 2025, color-coded from light blue (88%) to dark blue (93%). Most cities display 90% or higher. 

Data: DoorDash; Map: Alex Fitzpatrick/Axios

Pittsburgh restaurants on DoorDash were more likely to stay open year over year than those nationwide, per company data shared with Axios.Why it matters: Some churn is normal, even healthy. But when too few restaurants survive, the local economy takes a hit — losing one of its biggest drivers.

Food and Drink

Axios Boston

A dangerous heat wave rolls into Mass. this week

Boston

Don't expect pre-war gas or airfare prices any time soon

National

A set of line charts showing the change in the price of Brent crude oil  after select events. It shows the change daily, from one day before the event to 100 days after. The Iran War, started on Feb. 28, 2026, spiked Brent crude prices to up to 94% higher than the pre-war baseline. This is higher than any event shown except for Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 (+108%). 

Alex Fitzpatrick

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