These forecasts from weather.com, the National Weather Service and windfinder.com are pretty good 24 hours ahead. The forecasts are better on the direction of the wind, but the measured wind speed on the water will usually vary from 50% to 100% of the predicted speed. With a 5 mph forecast, there will be periods of calm on the water. They are least reliable when they forecast rapid changes of direction.
weather.com
Hour by hour winds at
the Point.
Ten
day forecast of winds at the Point
Weather Underground, Southside Flats, Pittsburgh
Present conditions and forecast
Record of past conditions
National Weather Service
Graphical forecast
Present conditions
Record of past three days
windfinder.com
Pittsburgh International Airport
The first screen shows a plot of winds over the past 24 hours.
Click the"Super Forecast" tab for the forecast.
See last 12 hours of winds at the Point in CMU BreatheCam.
The US Army Corps of Engineers report volumetric flow (cubic feet per second) at various dams on the rivers surrounding the Point. These can be used to determine the flow on the three rivers at the Point as follows. I link to the US Geological Survey presentation of the data since I find their charts easier to read. The NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is more useful, however, since it includes predictions of future flows.
Allegheny River
Flow at Dam
at Natrona on the Allegheny (upstream of Point)
Very rough conversion: 10,000 cu. ft./sec. = 0.36 mph
Monongahela
Flow at Dam
at Elizabeth on the Monongahela PLUS Flow at Dam at Youghiogheny at
Sutersville (both upstream of Point)
These are added since the Mon at the Point is
the combined flow of the Mon at Elizabeth and the Yough at
Suterville.
Very rough conversion: 10,000 cu. ft./sec. = 0.47 mph
Ohio River
Flow at Dam at Sewickley on the
Ohio (downstream of Point)
Very rough conversion: 10,000 cu. ft./sec. = 0.22 mph
1 mph = 1.47 ft./sec
For more on the conversion of volumetric flows (cu. ft./sec.) into linear speed (ft./sec.), look here.
These charts show the "sailing line," which is the approximate centerline of the navigation channel. Here is where you should expect barges to navigate. This page also links to sketches of the bridges that indicate vertical clearances. (There is ample vertical clearance for any sailboat likely to be sailed on the rivers.)
Information on boating on Pennsylvania waterways.
Boating Courses and Safety Certificates.
Online boating handbook.
Point of Pittsburgh Sailing League. "A group of Pittsburgh sailors and sailing enthusiasts is proposing to develop a youth-oriented, racing and community sailing program..."