Ask around and most folks will agree that it has been a peculiar summer when it comes to the weather. Most headlines point out the heat, from Florida to the desert southwest, as the globe just experienced its warmest July on record (1850-2023). For Ohio, we have benefited from numerous cool mornings and comfortable days, but the same northerly wind pattern also brought frequent wildfire smoke filled skies to the region.
Overall, temperatures since July 1st are running near to slightly below average (Figure 1-left). Along with the mild temperatures, the latter half of the summer has been considerably wetter than our start, with most areas of Ohio running well above average (Figure 1-right). CoCoRaHS observations over this time include reports of 13-14” in parts of Brown, Clinton, Cuyahoga, and Geauga Counties. On the flip side, dry conditions linger across portions of NW Ohio, where only 4-6” of rain has fallen over this same period in places like Putnam, Paulding, and Allen Counties. For more information, check out the State Climate Office and sign up for our monthly and quarterly climate summaries.
Forecast
A major pattern shift has brought strong high pressure to the region and a significant heatwave across the bulk of the central U.S. With Ohio on the eastern edge of this heatwave, temperatures this week will vary greatly from downwind Lake Erie in the northeast to Cincinnati. Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday in the far northeastern counties will remain comfortable in the upper 70s to low 80s, while the southwestern half of the state bakes under 90-95 degree temperatures. There could be a few showers or storms across the northern counties on Tuesday through Thursday. The heat really pushes into Ohio on Thursday, where locations from Cincinnati to Dayton to Columbus could top 100°F. If these locations do hit 100°F, it will be the first time since the summer of 2012. Overnight lows throughout the period will remain in the upper 60s to mid 70s. High temperatures in the 90s will continue into Friday before a strong cold front and a few showers and storms usher in cooler air for the weekend. The current forecast shows 0.10-0.5 inches of rain is expected this week, with slightly heavier amounts in northeast Ohio (Figure 2).
Source: osu.edu
Photo Credit: gettyimages-wwing
Categories: Illinois, Weather, Ohio, Weather