The Cincinnati and Columbus weather forecast is looking less than ideal for those hoping for a sunny start to the weekend. The National Weather Service Wilmington OH (NWS) reports that there's "a weak boundary" set to move south into the region, keeping things cooler with the possibility of some light showers throughout the day. According to the NWS forecast discussion, highs will struggle to reach beyond the low to mid-60s today, remaining several degrees below what we'd normally expect this time of year.
As we transition into the evening, we will experience better weather. NWS explains that "Weak high pressure will build down into our area tonight and then remain in place across the Ohio Valley into Saturday," which should lead to dry conditions and allow temperatures to moderate slightly to moderately, although they will still be cooler than usual for late May. Expect the mercury to dip into the 40s overnight, with Saturday's highs marginally warming up into the mid- to upper 60s.
Looking further ahead, NWS indicates that most of the long-term forecast will see temperatures staying below normal before they inch closer to what we're used to for the season late in the term. Dry weather will prevail Saturday night, with rain shower chances near and south of the Ohio River on Sunday. These showers are expected to shift southward by Sunday night into Monday, leaving the region dry once more.
But don't pack away those umbrellas just yet. A system is predicted to bring another round of precipitation to the region as early as Monday night. The NWS points to some lingering uncertainties regarding how it will interact with another system from the west on Tuesday. "Some light precipitation will have the potential to linger into Wednesday," says NWS, and there are already some signs that yet another system could bring additional precipitation chances to the region on Thursday. Although the confidence in this latter prediction is lower at this time, if you're planning end-of-week activities, it might be wise to plan for indoor alternatives.
In aviation news, the outlook remains relatively stable. According to NWS, today's flights should encounter "sct-bkn VFR cu/stratocumulus today and perhaps a few spotty showers," with any precipitation appearing too low to affect the TAFs. Tonight, as high pressure builds in, pilots will be greeted with decreasing clouds, though some patchy river valley fog could potentially affect visibility, particularly around KLUK toward the end of the TAF period. For those flying out next Tuesday, MVFR conditions are possible, but for now, the skies look mostly clear.
