Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Cleveland, OH

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311 FXUS61 KCLE 261820 AFDCLE Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Cleveland OH 220 PM EDT Sun May 26 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Low pressure will track northeast from the Mississippi Valley toward the central Great Lakes today and tonight, lifting a warm front into the area today followed by a cold front on Monday. A few disturbances will cross the area Tuesday into Wednesday before high pressure returns Thursday. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY/...
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A line of showers and thunderstorms extends from east of Chicago along the I-65 corridor through Indiana and into southwest Ohio. Storms are beginning to enter a more favorable environment for stronger convection with temperatures across Ohio reaching the lower 80s, prompting SBCAPE values above 3000 J/kg and DCAPE values of 1000 J/kg or higher. Therefore, a Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for a portion of the forecast area through 8 PM, as the leading line of thunderstorms will enter Hancock to Knox County at around 4 PM and move northeast toward Lake Erie. The most concerning portion of the line will be the leading edge entering Southwest Ohio with bowing segments allowing for some stronger winds to make it to the surface. There is some potential for a QLCS tornado with this line but the 0-3 km wind shear values are presently decreasing through northern Ohio so the tornado window could be brief as the line enters the forecast area. However, the main threat will be the damaging wind threat. All indications that this line will continue northeast through the forecast area and exit the far NW PA counties by Midnight. So far, there has been rather robust clearing behind the main line with a dominant cold pool and there should be a distinct multi-hour break in rain and thunderstorms for the area tonight. However, another round of more scattered convection will generate and move into the region, once there is some recovery. There will be better support further south and southwest, where there will be a larger recovery window, and storm coverage will be better outside of the forecast area. However, there will be some synoptic lifting mechanisms with the low to the northwest, cold front to the west, and the main upper trough aloft that should allow for some more thunderstorms to develop into the forecast area. Severe trends with these storms will be substantially lower than this afternoon/evening. Showers and storms will be possible through the first half of Monday until the cold front passes through the forecast area.
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&& .SHORT TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... Shortwave troughs will continue to move along the parent upper level trough for much of the short term period, resulting in additional potential for showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday. Initially on Monday night, a few lingering showers are possible across the eastern counties as a surface cold front moves east of the area, but any dry period will be shortly lived as another shortwave advects energy across the area Tuesday morning. The best chance of showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday should be downwind of a northwest flow across Lake Erie, but with diurnally instability and enough moisture elsewhere, cannot rule out additional showers and thunderstorms over the remainder of the area through Tuesday night. On Wednesday, another weak cold front will move southeast across the area, marking the transition to a dry period for the end of the week. By Wednesday night, high pressure and an associated upper level ridge will finally be pushing east and drying out the area. High temperatures on Tuesday will climb into the upper 60s to low 70s for much of the area before cooling behind the departing cold front to only reach into the 60s on Wednesday. Overnight lows will also gradually cool from the mid to upper 50s on Monday night to the mid 40s by Wednesday night. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... A dominant upper level ridge and associated surface high pressure over the central portion of the US will act as the primary moderator of weather through the long term period. This will allow for at least a couple dry days, but will also result in temperatures again climbing to above normal for this time of year with highs reaching into the upper 70s to low 80s by Saturday. There is a bit of difference in the timing of the progression of the ridge, but either way it looks to remain over the area. && .AVIATION /18Z Sunday THROUGH Friday/...
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Main concern for the TAF period is a line of thunderstorms stretching from east of Chicago southeast to Cincinnati that is moving northeast toward the airspace. Thunderstorms have a history of strong winds with wind gusts to 50 kt possible and non-VFR conditions, mostly to low MVFR and IFR, in the heaviest rainfall. The line is moving in a general south-southwest to north-northeast orientation and will take some time still to reach the southwest terminals. Have timed in TS chances with a broader VCTS window and a narrower TEMPO group to highlight the best period for the strongest wind gusts and lowest prevailing flight conditions. Behind the main line of storms there could be some residual convection, however, there has been a fair amount of clearing behind the line so far. Unfortunately, low pressure sweeping through the region will allow for another round of showers and storms to develop later tonight and may impact terminals to a lesser extent overnight. Confidence in this second round is a bit lower as coverage will be down a bit from this main line this afternoon and evening. Ceilings will start to fill in overnight to a prevailing MVFR and there will be trends to some IFR for many locations of interior northern Ohio. There will be a potential for showers and storms ahead of a final cold front on Monday and this may be limited to NE OH and NW PA through the end of the TAF period. Winds will start east to southeast and veer to the south after tonight`s convection and then to the southwest with the cold frontal passage on Monday. Outlook...Non-VFR expected with low ceilings and any residual showers and thunderstorms through Monday night. Periodic Non- VFR conditions may persist in scattered showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday and Wednesday.
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&& .MARINE...
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A Small Craft Advisory and Beach Hazards Statement have been issued for western Lake Erie through 8 PM this evening with the increased easterly flow this afternoon. Previous Discussion... Low pressure over the Plains will move northeast towards the region today, extending a warm front north of Lake Erie this afternoon. This will result in east winds of 5-10 knots transitioning to south- southwest winds at 10-15 knots which will persist into Monday. On Monday, a cold front will move east, again shifting the winds to gain a more westerly component and increasing to 15-20 knots for the nearshore waters and up to 25 knots for the open waters. With an established onshore component, waves will build to 3-5 feet throughout the day on Monday, additionally creating hazardous swimming conditions with an increased risk of rip currents. One or two additional weak cold front will move east across the area on Tuesday and Wednesday, keeping winds from west-northwest, but gradually weakening them to 10-15 knots by Wednesday morning. This period will likely need a Small Craft Advisory, but held off for one more forecast period to get a better handle on timing. Late Wednesday into Thursday, high pressure will build across the region, allowing for winds on Lake Erie to persist on Thursday from the north-northwest at 10-15 knots before weakening to below 10 knots through the end of the week.
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&& .CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
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OH...Beach Hazards Statement until 8 PM EDT this evening for OHZ003- 007. PA...None. NY...None. MARINE...Small Craft Advisory until 8 PM EDT this evening for LEZ142- 143.
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&& $$ SYNOPSIS...Maines NEAR TERM...Sefcovic SHORT TERM...Campbell LONG TERM...Campbell AVIATION...Sefcovic MARINE...Campbell/Iverson