Issued: 8am on Thursday, April 2nd 2026
Technical Forecast Discussion
Key Messages:
- Temperatures will continue to remain warm through Saturday before dropping into the mid-to-upper 50s on Sunday.
- The next chance for substantial rain and thunderstorms arrives Saturday as a potent low and cut off low aloft move through and over the state.
Short-Term Forecast (Thursday 04/02/2026 through Saturday 04/04/2026):
Multiple mature mid-latitude cyclones will make their rounds through Ohio during the short-term. A shortwave will travel just northwest of Ohio, and alongside it will be a surface low just scraping by the state as well. While we aren’t expected to see a significant amount of rain from this low, we could have some brief rain showers during the day before clearing out by Thursday evening. Temperatures will continue to remain quite warm as the warm sector sits over the state, allowing for warm air to envelope the region. A tight pressure gradient will allow for breezy winds to persist through the remainder of the short-term and beyond as winds gust from the SW at around 22 mph with sustained winds of 13 mph. Clouds are expected to be quite sparce, especially with the lack of abundant moisture in the atmosphere. Rain may return Friday afternoon as yet another mature mid-latitude cyclone approaches, but the main event of this low will come on Saturday. A low aloft will cut off in the Central US on Friday, developing further and pushing eastward Friday night and Saturday. This surface low sweep over the state and much of the eastern half of the US, bringing back the possibility for showers and thunderstorms during this time.
Long-Term Forecast (Sunday 04/05/2026 through Wednesday 04/08/2026):
Conditions will considerably stabilize by Sunday as the previous low rapidly exits the state. A broad trough will remain over the state for quite some time, and with a cold front following Saturday’s low, temperatures will drop considerably into the mid-to-upper 50s. This trough will encourage colder air to sweep down into Ohio for a prolonged period of time, cooling us down after these recent warm days. High-pressure will rapidly fill in behind Saturday’s low, clearing out a significant portion of clouds and allowing the sun to shine once more. Temperatures will begin to rise once more by Wednesday as a ridge begins developing over the state, but so far, this warming trend seems minimal.
