491 FXUS61 KILN 050132 AFDILNArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington OH 932 PM EDT Thu Sep 4 2025
.SYNOPSIS... Showers and thunderstorms will be possible Friday evening into Saturday morning as another cold front moves through the region. High pressure moves over the region early next week, providing below normal temperatures and dry conditions.
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.NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/... Evening update... The cold front has now shifted to the far southeast portions of the local area, stalling over Scioto County OH and Lewis County KY. Given the lingering moisture along the front, some mentions of valley fog were added for portions of southern Ohio and northern/northeast Kentucky. Otherwise, temperatures are beginning to cool under mostly clear skies and decreasing winds. No additional forecast changes were made.
Previous discussion (200 pm)... The cold front has now moved through Cincinnati, Wilmington, and Columbus, decreasing shower potential in these areas for the rest of the day. As the front moves southeast, additional showers and downpours have formed, but no lightning has been detected. This will likely change over the next couple of hours with additional heating across southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. Drier air moves in throughout the rest of the afternoon and evening, drying out the area into the overnight.
Weak high pressure becomes more nebulous overnight as a deepening low pressure moves into the upper Midwest. Most locations likely see light and variable flow overnight, but wind exposed locations will see a light southerly flow heading into Friday morning. Low temperatures are 5 to 10 degrees below normal so expect chilly conditions during the morning.
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.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT/... A large upper level trough will be positioned over southern and southeast Canada Friday morning. A strong shortwave trough will dive southeastward into the base of the trough, resulting in a deepening low pressure over the Great Lakes. In response to the depending low pressure, southwesterly flow increases quickly over the local area, with gusts of 20-25 mph expected. Even with some overspreading mid and upper level clouds, temperatures warm rapidly into the afternoon with many locations warming into the 80s. East-central Indiana and west-central Ohio may be the only locations to stay in the 70s as the front moves into those locations earlier in the afternoon.
Severe threat: As temperatures warm and low level moisture increases into the afternoon, the forcing for thunderstorm initiation is still off to the west, but will intensify into the evening hours and the front drops southeastward across the area. This means that thunderstorm development likely won`t occur until 5- 7pm, continuing beyond that through the evening hours. The best environment is expected ahead of the front, with scattered thunderstorms developing from the tri-state into south- central and southern Ohio. The shortwave is elongated and stretched out so repetitive development is possible over the same areas before the activity shifts southward with time. Bulk-shear upwards of 40 knots will support severe storm potential with hail and damaging winds the primary threats. The Marginal Risk from SPC was upgraded to a Slight Risk (Level 2 of 5) across southern Ohio and northern /northeast Kentucky. This area is favored due to the intersection of stronger shear and higher instability.
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.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... The first half of Saturday has become a bit more challenging as the evolution of the trough continues to trend a bit more amplified. This amplification enables stronger forcing over the Ohio Valley, resulting in lingering rainfall chances into the early afternoon, primarily south and east of the I-71 corridor. Confidence remains high that dry air will eventually blast in from the west, providing drier conditions and partly cloudy skies the rest of the day.
A few showers are possible again Saturday night across the west- central Ohio as a potent shortwave moves through the base of the longwave trough. The longwave trough axis shifts eastward across the area on Sunday with surface high pressure building across the Ohio Valley throughout the day and into the evening hours. Northwest winds will be noticeable Sunday morning and afternoon before the high pressure moves overhead Sunday night.
Monday through Wednesday feature below normal temperatures, especially during the morning hours. Sunday night into Monday morning will likely be the coldest, with low to mid 40s area wide. A gradually warm up with afternoon highs occurs into midweek as winds turn out of the southwest. Wednesday afternoon may get back to normal temperatures with the southwesterly flow.
There are some hints that another front will approach the region on Thursday, but initial indications are that it will be fairly weak, and likely dry.
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.AVIATION /02Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Clouds have decreased across the area, and this is expected to remain the case through the overnight. Light westerly/northwesterly winds decrease after 00Z, becoming light and variable or prevailing out of the south.
Southerly winds increase throughout the morning and afternoon, becoming more southwesterly/westerly by the end of the period. Wind gusts are between 20 and 25 knots ahead of the approaching cold front. The cold front will begin to move through DAY/CVG/LUK around 22-00Z, causing winds to shift out of the northwest.
Eventually will see some VFR cumulus form throughout the afternoon with scattered showers ahead of the front between the 18Z-00Z time period. Confidence is fairly high that any thunderstorm activity will develop and occur southeast of the TAF sites, but CVG/LUK/ILN are on the edge of of where the development is possible. Have limited PROB30 groups to showers only for now, due to the lower confidence in thunder. All other remaining sites may see showers mentions during the 06Z and 12Z TAF updates.
MVFR CIGs are possible, but would likely develop after 06Z and closer to 12Z. No mention in the TAFs at this time.
OUTLOOK...MVFR visibilities are possible Friday night with another round of showers and embedded thunderstorms.
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.ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...None. KY...None. IN...None.
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SYNOPSIS...McGinnis NEAR TERM...McGinnis SHORT TERM...McGinnis LONG TERM...McGinnis AVIATION...McGinnis
NWS ILN Office Area Forecast Discussion