After a rather chilly start this morning, temperatures across the Tuscarawas Valley will warm a bit this afternoon. Daytime highs will top out right around 50° this afternoon, plus/minus a degree or two. The average in New Phila for today’s date is 53°, so highs will end up just a touch cooler than normal. High pressure overhead will keep the clouds and any precipitation away.
With high pressure just off to the east, we’ll remain dry on Wednesday as both temperatures and clouds increase. Daytime highs should top out in the low-60s in most locations.
A warm front is slated to lift through east-central Ohio early on Thursday that may trigger a few showers and/or thunder as the day gets underway. After an early-morning round of rain, we’ll once again see temperatures warm to the low-70s across the region under cloudy skies.
Shower and thunderstorm chances increase towards Thursday evening as a potent cold front approaches from the north. The timing of this front will play a critical role in the potential for strong/severe thunderstorms in our area. As of Tuesday morning, the timing has shifted later in the day, bringing the front’s passage through our area after sunset on Thursday.
The later timing reduces our risk for severe thunderstorms, and the NWS Storm Prediction Center reflects this in the Day 3 outlook by placing the area under a Level 1, Marginal Risk for severe weather.
While a later frontal passage would bring lower chances of severe thunderstorms to the area, it also raises the potential of heavy rain. Current model projections indicate a 50% probability of an inch of rain from this in a short period. A ‘worst-case’ scenario of 2 inches is not out of the realm of possibility.
The front and the bulk of activity surrounding it should be south of our area by Friday morning. As it has been in recent times, temperatures will again turn chilly with daytime highs only reaching the mid-40s. Clouds should gradually clear through the afternoon and allow some occasional sun to return during the second half of the day.
High pressure building overhead will likely maintain dry conditions and mainly sunny skies through the weekend. Saturday will remain cooler than normal, but temperatures look to warm slightly above normal on Sunday.
Once we warm back up on Sunday, temperatures going forward look to remain more springlike as we wrap up March and head into April.
