A slight eastward shift in the upper-level ridge in the latest model trends has prompted a few minor changes to the forecast for this week. Temperatures will still turn plenty warm, especially Tuesday through Thursday.
Wednesday continues to look like the hottest day around our local area. Daytime highs could hover around 96° for a couple of hours during peak heating. Wednesday also looks like the best day to see heat index values at or slightly higher than 100°. (And, the folks at the NWS tell us Wednesday could also bring a Heat Advisory for our area.)
Regardless of any heat advisories, it will be hot outside for a few days. Thankfully, dew points should remain mainly below 70° this time around, so it will be less humid than the heat wave we experienced early in the month. Nighttime temperatures will also be cooler than during the previous heat wave.
WHEN WILL IT COOL OFF?
Model ensembles continue to indicate the large ridge overhead will begin to weaken and shift back west on Thursday, and temperatures across eastern Ohio should slowly retreat back to seasonal values through the weekend.
As temperatures back off, an approaching cold front will favor the development of showers and thunderstorms toward the end of the week.
This is a familiar weather pattern we’ve seen often here in the Tuscarawas Valley, and previous setups like this have produced severe storms in the past. While it’s way too far out to get into specifics yet, the potential is there for strong storms over the weekend.
It’ll take a few more days for the details to come into focus, and we’ll keep you updated along the way. In the meantime, keep cool out there.
