A potent cold front located across northwestern Ohio will slowly sink southeast through east-central Ohio today. Showers and thunderstorms will accompany the front as it approaches and finally exits the region this evening.
Expect a couple of rounds of rain and storms today – the first round this morning followed by a second one this afternoon. The threat for severe storms is fairly low. Instability in the upper levels will be marginal but winds aloft will be noteworthy. A few of the stronger storms could pull down some of those upper-level winds to the surface this afternoon. With this in mind, a strong thunderstorm with gusty winds would be possible, mainly during the afternoon. Folks south of I-70 would have the best odds for a borderline sever storm.
Hi-res computer model radar depiction through midnight:
Unlike the front that came through on Tuesday, this one will bring noticeably cooler and drier air to the Valley tonight and Friday. Temperatures will fall to the mid-50s after sunset this evening and bottom out in the upper 40s overnight. Dew points in the 60s this morning will drop off to the 40s as drier air takes over.
The cooler temperatures will carry over into Friday. Afternoon highs tomorrow will struggle to reach 70 degrees.
The cooler and drier air won’t last long, however. Our cold front will hang up south of the region tonight, then shift back north late Friday as a warm front. Most of Friday should be dry but a shower or two will be possible as the front approaches from the south – not a huge chance, but a chance none-the-less.
WEEKEND WEATHER
As our front continues north into New York, we here in east-central Ohio will be firmly in the warm sector on Saturday. Those cooler temperatures on Friday will once again soar to the low 80s Saturday afternoon. There may be a shower or two Saturday as the frontal boundary wabbles around to our north but otherwise, it will be a mostly dry day.
Sunday will be the better weekend day as our front finally pushes off to the north. Sunday will be sunnier with afternoon temperatures in the low 80s.
NEXT WEEK
The warm summerlike weather pattern will continue into next week. A large upper-level ridge will build over the eastern US to keep above normal temperatures and humid conditions going through at least mid-week. We may even be looking at record warmth next week as the ridge builds over the Carolinas. Chances for any rain will be slim at best.
Relief might come with a cold front Wednesday night/Thursday but the models vary quite a bit with this feature so far out.