Our hot and humid weather will be interrupted Thursday by increased rain chances with an encroaching cold front. That front will bring more seasonable temperature and periodic rain for the weekend.
I’ll begin with some good weather news for a change. Today will be the last day of the really hot and humid weather. With that being said, it will be very warm yet today. Temperatures this afternoon across the Valley will be about the same as yesterday peaking at around 92. Factoring in the humidity, heat index values will also be the same as they were yesterday – upper 90s to around 100 degrees.
A bit of upper-level energy in central Ohio may kick off a few thunderstorms this afternoon and I’ve kept a slight risk in the forecast for this afternoon. These could get a little feisty as this activity slides northeast through the late afternoon and early evening. The stronger storms should stay north of the Valley, but I can’t completely rule out a gusty storm in the northern half of the county. The Storm Prediction Center has part of our area highlighted for a marginal risk and I think that’s a good call.
The beginnings of a pattern change will get underway tonight. Low pressure over the Great Lakes region will shift east towards Quebec and drag a cold front across Ohio tomorrow morning. Odds for showers and thunderstorms will increase overnight as the front approaches.
Activity will ramp up and coverage of the showers and storms will broaden as we get towards afternoon and peak heating.
Temperatures tomorrow afternoon will be held in check by the ongoing thunderstorm activity and clouds in the region. Highs will be somewhat cooler, but still, a little higher than average with most neighborhoods will see 83/85 degrees.
The front will continue moving south through the remainder of the day. Shower and storm chances will decrease overnight behind the front. There are some differences in the models on how far south the front manages to get before it stalls out. We will keep the threat for showers and storms going through Friday mainly because of the questionable southern progress.
One factor that is not in question is we will finally get a break from the hot temperatures to end the work week. Highs on Friday will be 10 to 12 degrees cooler than today.
WEEKEND OUTLOOK
Attention turns to the potential for rain over the weekend as the remnants of tropical storm Gordon lift northeast.
Today’s modeling has slowed Gordon and Saturday should remain dry with high pressure moving across the Great Lakes. But chances for rain will increase dramatically for Sunday and Monday as the remnant low passes northwest and through the upper Great Lakes.
Temperatures through the weekend will be pleasantly cooler, however.
NWS is anticipating a fairly heavy swath of rin through portions of central Ohio over the next seven days. The majority of this will come Sunday and Monday with the low pressure remnants of Gordon.
These rain amounts look a little excessive given the questionable track of Gordon remnants this far out. It does, however, show that some areas of central and southern Ohio could get in on some heavy rainfall.
NEXT WEEK
Gordon remnants will drag a cold front across the region on Monday and we should begin drying out Monday evening/night. High pressure will build across the Great Lakes on Tuesday. A secondary cold front looks to develop and spark a few showers and storms.
