The all-familiar stormy weather pattern and up-and-down temperature swings will play out once again to wrap up our work week here in east-central Ohio.
A warm front will lift through eastern Ohio Thursday morning, which may spark a few showers or even perhaps some thunder as you head out to work or school. Temperatures across the Valley will warm into the low-70s in the southerly flow behind the front. While the odds are fairly low, a stray shower can’t be ruled out in any one spot during the daytime hours.
A line of thunderstorms is expected to develop over the Great Lakes region in the early afternoon along an advancing cold front. This will become the focus for a round of potentially severe thunderstorms in our area on Thursday evening.
As of Wednesday morning, the NWS Storm Prediction Center has parts of western and central Ohio in a Level 2 Risk of severe storms. The weather conditions over eastern Ohio are forecast to have a somewhat more stable airmass in place, and a Level 1 Risk is in place there. The late-day timing of storm arrival also reduces the severe threat in our area.
The highest odds of any severe storms occurring in our area are after sunset on Thursday to around 1 AM on Friday. All modes of severe weather are in play – damaging winds, large hail, and isolated tornadoes. (The risk of tornadoes is low, but not zero.)
Heavy rain could become an issue after the initial line of thunderstorms exits the area. Current modeling suggests a favorable potential of between one and two inches of rain could impact the east-central Ohio region Thursday night through early Friday.
Rain intensity and coverage will likely decrease north to south through Friday morning.
As we’ve often seen lately, temperatures on Friday will turn much colder again behind the cold front. Daytime highs will probably only reach the mid-40s. High pressure will build over the region on Saturday and Sunday. That will supply sunny skies and gradually warming temperatures over the weekend.
Once temperatures warm early next week, springlike temperatures appear to remain fairly consistent through the end of March to the first week or so of April.
