Today started off looking more like late summer in Los Angeles than central Ohio, with Columbus waking up to hazy, smoky skies, thick humidity, and temperatures hovering near 72°F. Smoke drifting south from Canadian wildfires has cut visibility and prompted an Air Quality Alert for central Ohio through midnight. The sun will stay filtered behind the haze, but forecasters still expect afternoon highs to reach the low 90s.
Air Quality And Health
According to the MORPC, Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, and Licking counties are under an Air Quality Alert, with fine particle pollution projected to reach the "Unhealthy" category. The Ohio EPA has also issued a statewide advisory as the smoke keeps pressing into Ohio. People with asthma, heart disease, older adults, and children are urged to limit long or intense outdoor activity.
If you do have to spend time outside, public health officials recommend using a well-fitting N95 mask, keeping outdoor exertion short, and running air conditioners on recirculate when possible to keep smoky air from being pulled indoors.
Evening Storms Possible Tonight
The National Weather Service expects areas of smoke to hang around into the afternoon, with the atmosphere turning more unsettled by evening. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely to fire up after 7 p.m., with roughly a 50% chance of storms in much of the region.
Any storms that do pop up could bring brief heavy downpours, frequent lightning and gusty winds, enough to slow the evening commute and cause ponding in low-lying spots. Overnight lows will only fall into the mid 70s, so there will be plenty of moisture available to keep storms going.
Saturday Outlook
A cold front is forecast to slide through tomorrow afternoon into the evening, boosting the chance for a more organized line of thunderstorms. Forecasters caution that a few storms could turn severe, with damaging wind the primary concern.
Rainfall amounts of a few tenths of an inch up to around one-half inch are possible in the heavier cells, with locally higher totals where stronger storms pass directly overhead. Anyone with outdoor plans tomorrow night should have a backup option and stay plugged into updated watches and warnings.
Bottom line: go easy on long outdoor workouts today, slow down if visibility drops in the smoke, and be ready to shuffle plans for scattered storms this evening and a potentially more active storm setup tomorrow. Check local forecasts and the Air Quality Index before heading out.
