Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Cleveland, OH

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900 FXUS61 KCLE 060000 AFDCLE Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Cleveland OH 800 PM EDT Wed Jun 5 2024 .SYNOPSIS... A cold front will cross the area this evening into tonight with a secondary cold front following on Thursday. A trough will persist over the Great Lakes late this week through the weekend. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
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Showers and thunderstorms across the scope this evening will need to be monitored over the next couple of hours. The most robust area of storms has been over Lake Erie, moving into Lake and Ashtabula Counties and will continue east into NW PA. Winds with this cluster have been in the 35-45 mph range and Special Marine Warnings are out for Lake Erie. Another stronger area of storms has been in central Ohio, moving through Marion and Morrow Counties. There has not been too much of a bite with these storms with wind or hail, but heavy rainfall has been occurring in this region and a flood advisory is out for a few counties. Rain will continue east across the area, but intensity will wane. Previous Discussion... Clearing is still occurring across the area and have seen rapid destabilization with SBCAPE values approaching 2000-2500 J/kg near the I-75 corridor and MLCAPE values approaching 1000-1500 J/kg in the western half of the CWA. A line of storms, currently over the I-75 corridor, will move farther east into the area over the next several hours before exiting to the east later this evening. CAMs have generally underestimated the amount of destabilization this afternoon and most high res guidance from earlier in the day has held off on stronger convection until the cold front (currently over eastern IL) approached from the west late this afternoon into this evening. Based on how things are looking right now, this line should be the main show with benign showers/thunderstorms with the front later this evening since the atmosphere will be worked over. Given the amount of moisture (PW values are over 1.5 inches which is well above normal for this time of year), buoyancy/CAPE, and effective bulk shear values to 20 to 25 knots, there may be isolated damaging wind gusts/downbursts. So far there have only been a couple of instances of wind gusts over 40 knots (still below severe limits), but the severe weather risk may increase at least a little bit as clearing and destabilization continue late this afternoon. Heavy rain will be a big concern since PW values are so high, CAPE profiles are tall and skinny, and warm cloud layers are deep. Storm motion may be a hair fast, but torrential rainfall rates and potential for backbuilding could result in flooding primarily in low- lying and urban areas. Can`t totally rule out isolated large hail since instability is a bit higher than previously anticipated, however the tornado threat remains low since shear values are marginal. The severe weather risk will diminish throughout the evening as diurnal instability wanes. Long story short, isolated damaging wind gusts and heavy rain/flooding are the main threats today. Scattered showers will likely persist behind the line of convection and ahead of the front tonight. The front should be to the east of the area by mid-morning Thursday, but the next trough/reinforcing surface cold front will pivot across the area by Thursday afternoon/evening. Moisture will be somewhat limited, but there will still be slight chance to chances of scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms. Lake-enhanced rain chances increase further across NE OH and NW PA Thursday night as cold air advection settles in behind the reinforcing cold front and 850mb temperatures fall to 5 to 10C. Tonight`s lows will be in the low to mid 60s with highs reaching the mid to upper 70s Thursday. Cyclonic flow aloft in addition to cold air advection will result in cooler minimum temperatures in the low to mid 50s.
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&& .SHORT TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... Aloft, cyclonic W`erly to NW`erly flow and embedded shortwave disturbances affect our region through the short-term period as a mid/upper-level low wobbles E`ward and then NE`ward from near Georgian Bay to near central QC. At the surface, troughing lingers over/near our CWA and trough axes will accompany the aforementioned shortwave disturbances. This pattern will maintain a chilly air mass for early June across northern OH and NW PA. Periods of isolated to scattered rain showers are expected due to moist isentropic ascent preceding shortwave trough axes, low-level convergence/moist ascent along attendant surface trough axes, and the presence of potential instability in the surface to roughly 850 mb layer. Daytime heating of the relatively-moist boundary layer coinciding with considerably colder air farther aloft should yield weak, yet sufficient mixed layer CAPE for isolated thunderstorm development each afternoon through early evening. The greatest potential and coverage of convection are expected each afternoon through early evening because a typical diurnal cycle in boundary layer temperatures and instability is expected. In addition, a sufficiently-cold/moist low/mid-level atmospheric column and the seeder-feeder process should support periods of lake-enhanced rain over/generally east or southeast of ~18C Lake Erie, in/near our snowbelt counties, during the late evening through morning hours of Friday into Saturday and Saturday into Sunday. Late afternoon highs should reach the mid 60`s to lower 70`s on Friday and the upper 60`s to mid 70`s on Saturday. Overnight lows should reach mainly the upper 40`s to mid 50`s around daybreak Saturday and mainly the 50`s around daybreak Sunday. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Cyclonic W`erly to NW`erly flow aloft and embedded shortwave disturbances should continue to affect our region on Sunday through Monday. At the surface, troughing persists over/near the eastern Great Lakes and Upper OH Valley, and multiple trough axes will accompany the shortwave disturbances. This pattern at the surface and aloft will allow an unusually-cool air mass to remain entrenched across our CWA. Periods of isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected for the same reasons noted in the short- term discussion. The greatest potential and coverage of convection are expected each afternoon through early evening due to a continued typical diurnal cycle in boundary layer temperatures and instability, and self-destructive sunshine. Periods of lake-enhanced rain remain possible over and generally east or southeast of Lake Erie Sunday morning and again Sunday evening into Monday morning for the same reasons noted in the short-term discussion. Daily afternoon highs are forecast to reach the mid 60`s to mid 70`s. Overnight lows should reach mainly the 50`s around daybreak Monday morning. Odds favor fair weather on Monday night through Tuesday night as the cyclonic flow aloft and associated surface troughing exit generally E`ward, a ridge at the surface and aloft builds generally E`ward over/near our CWA, and stabilizing subsidence accompanies the ridge. Low-level WAA will eventually impact northern OH and NW PA as our CWA becomes located generally west of the low-level ridge axis. Overnight lows should reach mainly the upper 40`s to upper 50`s around daybreak Tuesday and be followed by highs in the lower 70`s to lower 80`s late Tuesday afternoon. Overnight lows should then reach mainly the 50`s to lower 60`s around daybreak Wednesday. At the surface and aloft, the ridge should begin to exit E`ward on Wednesday as a trough begins to enter from the Upper Midwest and vicinity. A few showers and thunderstorms are possible on Wednesday as low-level isentropic ascent preceding the trough axis aloft coincides with increasing low-level moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and releases at least weak instability, including elevated instability. Late afternoon highs should reach mainly the mid 70`s to lower 80`s. && .AVIATION /00Z Thursday THROUGH Monday/...
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Showers and thunderstorms are moving across the region this evening with primarily VFR conditions at the terminals. Some brief periods of MVFR/IFR has been occurring with the most intense storms and periods of moderate to heavy rain. However, the main ceiling level should be VFR levels and the main drop in flight conditions would be with reduced visibility. The bulk of rain and storms will move east over the next few hours with trends toward west winds and low VFR ceilings, as the cold front will move through the area. Some amount of clearing conditions should happen on Thursday with winds increasing out of the west and some elevated gusts to 30 kt possible. Some clouds and even some new showers could develop in NE OH and NW PA, but confidence is very low for even a thought of a TAF mention at this point. Outlook...Non-VFR will be possible with scattered rain showers and isolated thunderstorms Thursday night through Monday.
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&& .MARINE... A cold front is still poised to sweep E`ward across Lake Erie this evening through early Thursday morning and clear Lake Erie by daybreak. Otherwise, a trough lingers over the lake. The cold front`s passage will cause SSE`erly to SW`erly winds around 5 to 15 knots to veer toward W`erly. Waves remain 3 feet or less through Thursday. Occasional 4 footers are possible east of The Islands on Thursday, especially in open waters. Winds around 10 to 20 knots are expected to vary between SW`erly and NW`erly on Thursday night through Sunday as a trough continues to linger over Lake Erie. Waves are expected to be as large as 3 to 6 feet east of The Islands and 3 feet or less elsewhere. One or multiple Small Craft Advisories and Beach Hazards Statements for the adjacent shore will likely be needed. W`erly to N`erly winds around 5 to 15 knots are expected Sunday night into Monday as the trough weakens over the eastern Great Lakes region and a ridge attempts to begin to build from the north-central United States. Waves are expected to subside to 3 feet or less. && .CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...None. PA...None. NY...None. MARINE...None. && $$ SYNOPSIS...Maines NEAR TERM...Maines/Sefcovic SHORT TERM...Jaszka LONG TERM...Jaszka AVIATION...Sefcovic MARINE...Jaszka