High pressure will bring a dry and mostly sunny day to the Valley for Thursday. It will be a warm one, though. Afternoon temperatures should reach 85 – 87 degrees with plenty of sunshine.
Clouds will build in from the northwest this afternoon as a cold front advances southeast through Ohio. Showers and thunderstorms will develop ahead of the front as it approaches east-central Ohio this evening. Activity should reach the Tuscarawas Valley area near sunset.
With storms not expected until late this evening, conditions will be more favorable for strong to severe thunderstorms east and north of the Valley. Still, with moderate instability and upper-level shear present, it wouldn’t be surprising if a few cells managed to produce strong gusty wind and hail. With this in mind, the Storm Prediction Center has portions of east-central Ohio highlighted for a marginal risk – mainly north of I-70.
I do not think there is a big threat for severe storms and activity this evening will be scattered. An isolated cell or two could bring some gusty wind and hail. Thunderstorm activity should wane later in the evening with the loss of daytime heating.
TIMING
The best odds for thunderstorms here in the Valley will be between 8:00 PM and midnight. Hi-res futurecast radar today through 1:00 AM:
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
A nice weekend with cooler temperatures and less humidity looks to shape up for the Valley. Clouds may linger into Friday morning as our frontal boundary slowly sinks east. High pressure will build in during the afternoon and evening with decreasing clouds through the day.
High pressure will remain in control of our weather through the weekend keeping the area dry and mostly sunny through Saturday. An upper-level disturbance will bring more clouds for Sunday but we should still remain dry.
Temperatures through the weekend will be cooler than average for late July. After a week of muggy conditions, much drier air will bring relief from the humidity and it will be very pleasant with dew points in the 50s.
NEXT WEEK
Nearly a repeat of this week. An upper-level trough will develop and move east setting up another humid weather pattern for much of the eastern US. Disturbances riding within the trough will bring back the Gulf moisture and the threat for showers and thunderstorms through the first half of the week.
