According to the National Weather Service, Ohioans can expect continued clear skies and mild weather as high pressure and a dry air mass dominate the regional forecast through mid-week. Today, Columbus, Cincinnati, and their surrounding areas are set to experience slightly warmer temperatures, with mid-level ridging pushing in from the southwest, resulting in higher H5 heights.
Tonight's overnight cooling will be pronounced due to the atmosphere's layers uncoupling and winds calming. Clear skies will continue through the night, with the Ohio Valley's valleys likely seeing a dip in temperature due to the natural phenomenon of gravity flows; the tri-state region should be on the lookout for elevated smoke that's expected to remain clear but hazier than usual, and the HRRR integrated smoke product points to the lingering presence of this smoke.
Tuesday's forecast suggests more of the same, with the National Weather Service noting, "Continued effects of surface high pressure and the mid-level ridge will bring warm and dry conditions Tuesday." As the week progresses, the surface ridge is set to shift east Tuesday night into Wednesday, and a mid-level ridge axis will strengthen, leading to an anticipated temperature increase, sending daytime highs across the region into the 80s, some approaching the 90-degree mark.
Attention, however, is slowly turning towards the tropics, with tropical activity brewing along the western Gulf Coast. A potential Tropical Cyclone 6 is projected to become a hurricane named Francine. As it merges with mid-level energy, it's expected to head northward, transitioning into a mid-level closed low as it reaches the lower Ohio River Valley, increasing clouds over our area and bringing the potential for precipitation by the end of the week, especially for areas closer to the low-pressure system, Thursday night could see the arrival of showers and the few inclusive embedded thunderstorms.
Aviation forecasts from cities such as Dayton, Cincinnati, and Cincinnati's Lunken Airport indicate that mostly clear skies should be anticipated, with a "hazy and diffuse elevated smoke layer persisting." Even over the western sites, the haze is not expected to impact visibility significantly. The weekend is uncertain due to potential interactions with mid-level ridging and the closed low. Still, the National Weather Service has advised keeping low chances for showers with "partly cloudy skies" and continuing mild temperatures.
