The hot streak in Columbus and Cincinnati is about to end as a Canadian high-pressure system slides into the Ohio Valley, bringing a curtain of much cooler weather for the weekend. According to the National Weather Service, today, the mercury will hit the upper 80s to around 90 degrees amidst hot temperatures under the strength of high pressure.
Yet, as Friday unfurls, so does the narrative of the current weather. A digging mid-level atmospheric trough will usher in a cold front from the Great Lakes, signaling a shift to more excellent conditions. "A change in the weather pattern is forecast as we head into the weekend," the National Weather Service notes. As the frontal system treks southeast, it'll carry chances of showers and the potential for isolated severe thunderstorms, especially along and southeast of the I-71 corridor, highlighted by the Storm Prediction Center's marginal risk advisory.
The overture for this climatic change begins tonight as clouds gather in the northwest, and showers may dot landscapes near sunrise. Friday will likely parse its hours into increasing precipitation, peaking between 21Z Friday and 03Z Saturday, with a cold front fanning out a drier, gusty northern wind. "Highs will vary from northwest to southeast based on sunshine, clouds, and the advancing front," the Weather Service adds, forecasting a range from the mid-70s northwest to near 90 southeast.
Post-frontal, the weekend obliges with "cool, dry conditions" as the high pressure originating from Canada makes itself at home in the Ohio Valley. Saturday night could be incredibly crisp, with temperatures dipping into the low to mid-40s. By midweek, Ohioans will witness a rehearsal of warmth as a "slow warm-up" commences, with highs returning to the 80s. Despite this gentle ascent in degrees, humidity remains an understudy to the prevailing dry air until at least Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
For aviators, the skyscape remains VFR, Visual Flight Rules, favorable through sunrise, with light southeast winds around 5 knots predicted for today. Challenges arise Friday afternoon into the night as thunderstorms become potential stage-crashers in the airspace. Pilots and travelers should listen to further aviation updates and perhaps leave a little room for flexibility in their plans.
