April goes out on a cool note with cloudy but quiet weather. Warmer and a more active weather pattern sets up for the second half of the work week.
Most of the precipitation in yesterday’s forecast stayed further north than originally expected. As such, there was very little in the way of thunder and rain here in the Valley. As we mentioned in yesterday’s forecast, the threat for any strong storms was really low but couldn’t be ruled out completely.
The weak front that caused yesterday’s concern is well south of the Valley this morning. It will remain nearly stationary along the Ohio River through the day and keep our skies cloudy. A spotty sprinkle or light shower will be possible, but for the most part, we should stay dry today.
Temperatures will be cooler today than yesterday’s high with afternoon highs today in the 60°/62° range.
That frontal boundary in southern Ohio will lift north on Wednesday as a warm front. A southerly breeze will pump warm air into east-central Ohio and temperatures will really take off. Afternoon highs here in the Valley should reach 80° or better.
There really won’t be much of a trigger for showers and storms to fire up with the front and it appears that we should stay rain free. It will really hinge on how far north that frontal boundary gets tomorrow afternoon. Current computer guidance keeps the boundary well to our north over Lake Erie. Should this prove to be the case, odds for a passing shower or storm would be fairly low.
Chances for showers and thunderstorms will be higher on Thursday with a cold front sliding south. Today’s SPC Severe Outlook has our area in a Marginal (1/5) risk for a gusty storm. The wind will be a bit breezy with this front and any storms could make for some strong wind gusts.
Temperatures on Thursday will be cooler than Wednesday but still a pretty decent mid-70s here in the Valley.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND
Unsettled weather will continue into the weekend. A front will linger in the area on Friday keeping the threat for showers and thunderstorms going. The models disagree somewhat with where Friday’s front hangs up and thus, where the biggest threat for showers and storms will end up being. The European model keeps the front just to our south and thus has a wetter solution. The GFS pushes the front farther south which would mean minimal rain chances.
For now, I’ve leaned toward the Euro and kept likely odds for showers and storms in the forecast for Saturday. Sunday looks like the better day of the weekend. Both of the major models push the front far enough south to minimize the threat for rain. It will be a close call, but for now, I’ll keep it dry for Sunday – with the caveat that the forecast might change depending on how things play out in future model runs.
Temperature trends over the next 7 days indicate that today may just end up being the coolest day for a while.
Thanks for reading today’s local weather update. If you have outdoor plans for the weekend – especially on Sunday – keep up with the latest forecast right here with the Valley’s only dedicated weather information resource.
