Key messages
- 1) Cold front moves through today, bringing gusty winds and
What Has Changed
No major changes.
Key Messages
decreasing temperatures this morning. Occasional periods of light rain will also occur.
2) High pressure brings below normal temperatures to the region this weekend. Frost is likely Saturday night into Sunday morning. Temperatures slowly moderate into midweek, and conditions remain dry for the rest of the forecast.
Discussion
Key Message 1) Temperatures are at their warmest to start the day as the cold front approaches from the west early this morning. As the cold front moves through between 6 AM and 1 PM, temperatures in the upper 60s to lower 70s quickly drop into the 50s, remaining there through the afternoon. A period of gusty winds between 25 and 35 mph will occur with the frontal passage and through the afternoon, especially across west-central and central Ohio.
A very thin line of showers may eventually develop along the front as it moves through central/southern Ohio and northeast Kentucky late this morning and into the early afternoon, however, much of the rainfall in the forecast is associated with favorable jet streak dynamics with the deep trough moving through the region. The period of light rain develops aloft behind the front, persisting through the afternoon. While light, this rainfall will only add to the dreary conditions behind the front.
The better jet dynamics shift off to the east during the early evening hours, but the main trough axis will begin to pivot southeast through the Great Lakes and into the Ohio Valley this evening. The trough drives a secondary cold front southward through the area this evening, bringing a renewed period of wind gusts between 25 and 35 mph for tonight. Temperatures will be driven down further, pushing low temperatures into the upper 30s to lower 40s. Given the expectation that the winds will not go calm, frost potential is lower for tonight into Saturday morning.
Key Message 2) The trough shifts to the east on Saturday, allowing high pressure to build directly over the Ohio Valley by Saturday evening. Clouds are likely a bit stubborn Saturday afternoon across central/southern Ohio, but they eventually clear by the evening hours. As noted in previous forecasts, given the placement of the high pressure, the current forecast for low temperatures Saturday night is a couple degrees lower than NBM deterministic guidance. Most areas drop into the lower 30s with upper 20s also occurring, especially within the valleys. A freeze watch will be needed at some point, within the next one or two forecast cycles.
The center of the high pressure shifts off to the east on Sunday, but conditions will remain favorable for frost development into Monday morning.
Temperatures gradually moderate each day during the next work week. They are back to seasonal normals on Monday, rising a few degrees above normal Tuesday through Friday. Depending on the evolution of the cut-off or closed-low off the East Coast, rainfall projections through all of next week are fairly dry, with below normal PWATs persisting over the region.
Aviation /12Z Friday Through Tuesday/
A cold front is quickly moving through the area this morning and should be through all sites by the start of the forecast. Winds will have shifted to westerly or west-northwesterly, gusting between 20-30 knots. In addition, CIGs will have returned to low-end MVFR thresholds. After the front passes, wind gusts should be slightly lower throughout the day, in the 20-25 knot range.
Period of light rain are also anticipated today, and there may be some MVFR VIS depending on the intensity.
A secondary cold front moves in from the north late in the forecast, with another wind shift from west-northwest to north-northwest to north. Renewed wind gusts in 25-30 knot range are expected between 00Z and 12Z. The potential for widespread MVFR CIGs begins to decrease as drier air moves in from the north with most sites seeing VFR conditions by the end of the forecast.
OUTLOOK...Lingering MVFR CIGs are possible into Saturday morning for central Ohio.
Iln Watches/Warnings/Advisories
OH...None. KY...None. IN...None.
DISCUSSION...McGinnis AVIATION...McGinnis