Generally speaking, what you see this morning is what you’ll get the next couple of days. Scattered showers will overspread east-central Ohio this morning as a broad low-pressure system travels ever so slowly across the Great Lakes today. We can expect a few embedded thunderstorms to fire as temperatures warm up this afternoon.
Cloud cover and the already existing rain will limit the amount of warming and thus the amount of instability. As such, the Storm Prediction Center has backed off on the threat of severe thunderstorms in our area for today.
Rainfall could still be heavy at times mainly this afternoon and tonight, but thunderstorms should move along at a fairly good clip. While an isolated flooding issue would be possible where heavy rain occurs, the threat of any flooding is pretty low. Still, we’ll need to be mindful of localized flooding issues today and tonight.
With the amount of cloud cover and with showers and storm around temperatures will stay cooler today than yesterday. Simulated radar through 1:00 AM shows how things might play out today:
We will struggle to reach 80 degrees later this afternoon. Dew points will remain in the upper 60s to near 70 so it will feel pretty muggy.
A few upper-level disturbances will ride through overnight keeping the threat for occasional showers and storms going tonight and through Friday. Tomorrow will be much like today but showers and storms will be more scattered in nature. Clouds will thin at times and we may even get in on a few peaks of sun.
Any appreciable sunshine tomorrow will increase instability. In response, the SPC has placed our area in a marginal risk (1/5) for isolated severe thunderstorms mainly in the afternoon. Depending on the amount of sunshine, a few strong storms are possible.
Temperatures will remain relatively cool for mid-August with highs around 82.
Again, heavy rainfall will be possible in some locations. Actually, we’ll end up getting a decent amount of rain over the next 36 hours. Most of us will end up with a half to three-quarters. Those neighborhoods that happen to get under a downpour could end up on the higher end or even a little more.
WEEKEND OUTLOOK
The low responsible for all this activity should end up over the Saint Lawrence River Valley Friday night. A cold front associated with the low will extend through east-central Ohio through Saturday morning. Shower and storm chances ahead of the front will lessen as we get into the afternoon Saturday as the front dips south and drier air begins to move in over the region.
Saturday’s weather will gradually improve through the afternoon and evening. High pressure will build in behind the front Saturday night into Sunday. Sunshine and clear skies will return to finish out the weekend. Temperatures will be in the low 80s over the weekend and those dew points will come down as the drier air takes over on Sunday.
