Weak high pressure will provide dry weather and mostly below normal temperatures through Thursday. Low pressure riding up the Ohio River will provide our next widespread precipitation chance late in the week.
Fair weather will settle over east-central Ohio today with high pressure centered over the southern Ohio Valley. Temperatures today will likely end up being the warmest for the remainder of the week topping out this afternoon in the low 50s. A moderate southwest breeze will make the air feel a bit cooler, though.
With not much in the way of clouds overnight, radiational cooling tonight will kick into full gear. Temperatures overnight will drop to around 30 in most locations.
Despite mostly sunny conditions again on Thursday, temperatures will be a few degrees cooler with colder air aloft funneling in over the region. Afternoon highs will peak in the upper 40s.
FRIDAY THROUGH VETERANS DAY
The trend of colder temperatures will continue into the weekend. High pressure will shift northeast and away from the region Thursday night. That will allow low pressure to travel through the Ohio Valley and into the Great Lakes on Friday. Chances for precipitation will ratchet upwards Thursday night ahead of the system.
Temperatures Thursday night at the surface will be borderline, but cool enough aloft for the first snowflakes of the season to mix in early Friday morning. Incoming warm air will eventually change precipitation back to rain by mid-morning.
Friday will just be a raw, chilly, rainy day. As the low continues north and east, colder air will wrap in behind it Friday night into Saturday. With cold air flowing over the lake, a few snow showers will again be likely Friday night and early Saturday morning.
High pressure will return Saturday. Clouds will clear and allow sunshine in the afternoon but it will be a cold and windy day. Temperatures will top out in the upper 30s for the afternoon high and with a gusty wind, wind chills in the 20s are likely.
A nicer, although still quite chilly, day looks to set up for Veterans Day.
NEXT WEEK
The cold air arriving over the weekend will have some staying power. The computer models are a good agreement of a deep upper-level trough setting up next week. This will drive cold arctic air south.
In simple terms, this will bring well below average temperatures into east-central Ohio next week – more in tune with what we normally see in mid-December. We may not get out of the 30s for afternoon highs a couple of days during the middle part of next week.
The first thing that pops into your mind with temperatures like this is snow. While I can’t say for sure at this point, it is certainly possible. With air this cold, any precipitation would certainly be frozen – especially at night.
You might want to dig into the back reaches of the closet and dig out those winter coats.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to catch up with our local weather. Have a great Wednesday!
