726  
FXUS61 KCLE 200541  
AFDCLE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH  
141 AM EDT WED AUG 20 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS  
 
LOW PRESSURE WILL CROSS LAKE ERIE AND NORTHERN OHIO THIS EVENING,  
DRAGGING A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT. THE FRONT WILL SLOW  
OVER THE APPALACHIANS WEDNESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT BEFORE CANADIAN  
HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN FROM THE NORTH BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  
ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH SATURDAY.  
 
 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TODAY/  
 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING HAVE BEEN EFFICIENT RAIN PRODUCERS.  
ACTIVITY IS WANING IN INTENSITY AS IT PUSHES EAST AWAY FROM THE  
RESERVOIR OF BETTER INSTABILITY WHICH REMAINS FOCUSED ACROSS  
WESTERN OHIO. STORM STRENGTH HAS BEEN HAMPERED BY WEAK MID  
LEVEL LAPSE RATES AND PEAK GUSTS THIS EVENING HAVE BEEN AROUND  
35 KNOTS. WHILE ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS MAY CONTINUE TO DEVELOP  
ALONG THE COLD FRONT WHICH EXTENDS FROM NEAR SANDUSKY TO  
FINDLAY, POTENTIAL FOR ANY SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAS DECREASED.  
 
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...THE FOCUS FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING  
WILL BE ON SCATTERED CONVECTION DEVELOPING AHEAD OF THE COLD  
FRONT, BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR LOCALIZED STRONG WINDS AND  
HEAVY RAINFALL. THE FIRST WAVE OF SHOWERS AND EMBEDDED THUNDER,  
WHICH WAS DRIVEN BY WARM AIR ADVECTION AND ISENTROPIC ASCENT E  
AND NE OF THE RETREATING WARM FRONT, HAS WEAKENED OVER NE OHIO  
AND NW PA. THE AIRMASS IS RECOVERING IN THE WAKE OF THIS EARLIER  
ROUND, WHERE BREAKS OF SUNSHINE HAVE ALLOWED SURFACE  
TEMPERATURES TO WARM INTO THE MID 80S IN MUCH OF NW AND NORTH  
CENTRAL OHIO. THIS COMBINED WITH DEW POINTS THAT RAPIDLY  
INCREASED INTO THE UPPER 60S/LOW 70S IN THE WARM SECTOR HAS  
ALLOWED MLCAPE VALUES TO REACH 500-1000 J/KG IN NW AND NORTH  
CENTRAL OHIO. THERE IS NO CAPPING IN PLACE, SO AS LOW-LEVEL  
CONVERGENCE AND FRONTOGENETIC FORCING CONTINUE TO INCREASE AIDED  
BY THE RIGHT ENTRANCE OF A 50-65 KNOT H3 JET STREAK CROSSING  
CENTRAL MICHIGAN, CONVECTION WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND IN COVERAGE  
AHEAD OF THE FRONT THROUGH THE EVENING. HREF ENSEMBLES AND  
INDIVIDUAL CAM MEMBERS HAVE STRUGGLED ALL DAY WITH THE TIMING,  
EVOLUTION, AND PLACEMENT OF THE CONVECTION, BUT THE LATEST RUNS  
SEEM TO BE INITIALIZING SLIGHTLY BETTER BASED ON CURRENT RADAR  
TRENDS. EXPECT THE BROKEN LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
DEVELOPING FROM WESTERN LAKE ERIE TO WYANDOT COUNTY TO CONTINUE  
TO FILL IN SOMEWHAT AS IT MOVES EAST THIS EVENING, AND THIS  
SHOULD BE THE MAIN SHOW. THE MARGINAL CAPE MENTIONED ABOVE  
COMBINED WITH EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR OF AROUND 30 KNOTS NEAR THE  
FRONT WILL SUPPORT THE SWODY1 MARGINAL RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER,  
BUT THIS THREAT WILL BE VERY ISOLATED, WITH WIND BEING THE MAIN  
THREAT. GIVEN THE SURFACE LOW AND ASSOCIATED ENHANCED VORTICITY  
PASSING OVERHEAD, CANNOT ENTIRELY RULE OUT AN ISOLATED, BRIEF  
SPIN UP TORNADO EITHER, BUT THIS IS LOWER CONFIDENCE COMPARED TO  
THE GUSTY WINDS. LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY ANY  
CONVECTION GIVEN PWATS IN THE 1.75 TO 2.00 INCH RANGE.  
 
THE BULK OF THE CONVECTION WILL BE EAST AND SOUTHEAST OF THE  
REGION BY 00Z, BUT PERIODIC SHOWERS WILL HANG BACK OVER THE  
AREA, MAINLY ALONG AND EAST OF I-77, MUCH OF THE NIGHT AS THE  
COLD FRONTAL PROGRESSION SLOWS OVER THE APPALACHIANS COMBINED  
WITH CONTINUED UPPER JET SUPPORT AS THE MID/UPPER TROUGH AXIS  
CROSSES THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES, SO INCREASED POPS OVER EASTERN  
AREAS TONIGHT. THE BEST MID/UPPER FORCING DEPARTS WEDNESDAY,  
BUT THE COLD FRONT WILL BECOME QUASI- STATIONARY OVER THE  
APPALACHIANS THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT IN RESPONSE TO HURRICANE  
ERIN LIFTING NORTH OFFSHORE OF THE NC OUTER BANKS. THIS WILL  
CAUSE AN INVERTED SURFACE TROUGH AND LOW-LEVEL MOISTURE TO DRIFT  
WESTWARD INTO OUR EASTERN CWA WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT, SO  
KEPT POPS SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN RAW NBM. MOST AREAS WILL NOT SEE  
MUCH RAIN WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT (CERTAINLY NO WASHOUTS),  
BUT ELEVATED CLOUD COVER AND SCATTERED OFF AND ON SHOWERS WILL  
BE AROUND, SLIGHTLY DELAYING THE TRANSITION TO THE BEAUTIFUL  
UPCOMING WEATHER.  
 
HIGHS WILL COOL INTO THE MID/UPPER 70S WEDNESDAY, BUT IT WILL  
STILL BE RATHER MUGGY. LOWS TONIGHT WILL STAY IN THE MID 60S TO  
AROUND 70, BUT COOLER AND DRIER AIR WILL START TO MOVE IN  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT THANKS TO CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE  
NORTHERN GREAT LAKES FINALLY STARTING TO BUILD SOUTH, SO EXPECT  
LOWS TO FALL INTO THE LOW/MID 60S WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  
 
 
   
SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/  
 
THE AFOREMENTIONED LARGE SURFACE RIDGE OF CANADIAN HIGH  
PRESSURE WILL SLOWLY BUILD FROM THE NORTHERN GREAT LAKES THROUGH  
THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY  
NIGHT. THIS WILL FINALLY PUSH THE OLD FRONTAL BOUNDARY FARTHER  
SOUTH, SO A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS IN EASTERN OHIO AND WESTERN PA  
THURSDAY MORNING SHOULD END BY AFTERNOON AS THE DRIER AIR AND  
SUBSIDENCE WORK INTO THE REGION. THE CANADIAN HIGH COMBINED  
WITH MID/UPPER TROUGHING OVER THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES AND NEW  
ENGLAND WILL BRING REFRESHINGLY COOLER AND LESS HUMID AIR TO THE  
REGION, WITH HIGHS IN THE MID/UPPER 70S THURSDAY AND UPPER  
70S/LOW 80S FRIDAY. LOWS BOTH THURSDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHTS WILL  
FALL INTO THE UPPER 50S/LOW 60S, WITH SOME MID 50S IN INTERIOR  
NE OHIO AND NW PA.  
 
 
   
LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/  
 
THE COOLER AND LESS HUMID PATTERN WILL TURN EVEN COOLER FOR THE  
EXTENDED RANGE AS A DEEP MID/UPPER TROUGH DIGS FROM THE NORTHERN  
PLAINS AND UPPER MIDWEST SATURDAY THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES  
SUNDAY. THIS TROUGH WILL CARVE OUT ACROSS THE ENTIRE EASTERN  
CONUS EARLY TO MID NEXT WEEK (AND LIKELY BEYOND) BRINGING THE  
COOLEST AIRMASS SINCE THIS PAST SPRING. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY THE STRONG COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE  
SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT BEFORE TRANSITIONING TO LAKE-  
EFFECT RAIN SHOWERS OVER THE "SNOWBELT" OF NE OHIO AND NW PA  
SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK GIVEN LAKE SURFACE TEMPS IN THE  
UPPER 70S F AND 850 MB TEMPS FALLING TO 5 TO 7 C AND WHAT LOOKS  
TO BE WELL- ALIGNED W TO NW FLOW. IT IS GETTING TO BE THAT TIME  
OF YEAR!  
 
HIGHS WILL WARM INTO THE LOW/MID 80S AHEAD OF THE FRONT SATURDAY  
BEFORE COOLING INTO THE MID/UPPER 70S SUNDAY AND ONLY LOW 70S  
MONDAY AND TUESDAY.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /06Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/  
 
LOW PRESSURE IS STILL WORKING ITS WAY ITS ACROSS LAKE ERIE, AND  
AS IT DOES SHOW, SHOULD SEE CEILINGS QUICKLY DROP TO IFR AT MOST  
TAF SITES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS. IFR CEILINGS SHOULD LAST  
THROUGH THE REST OF THE OVERNIGHT BEFORE QUICKLY IMPROVING TO  
MVFR SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE, WITH MVFR CEILINGS LASTING THROUGH  
THE DAY WEDNESDAY AND INTO WEDNESDAY NIGHT. IFR CONDITIONS MAY  
LAST LONGER AT KERI, WHERE IT'S POSSIBLE CEILINGS REMAIN AT OR  
LOWER THAN IFR THROUGH THE DAY TODAY. THE BULK OF RAIN AND  
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXITING THE FORECAST AREA, THOUGH THERE MAY  
BE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED RAIN SHOWERS AT TIMES THROUGH THE DAD  
TODAY.  
 
LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS WILL BECOME  
NORTHERLY, WITH SPEEDS IN THE 6-12 KNOTS RANGE. THE STRONGER  
WINDS IN THIS RANGE WILL OCCUR CLOSER TO LAKE ERIE WHERE WIND  
GUSTS OF 20-25 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE.  
 
OUTLOOK...NON-VFR MAY CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY WITH ISOLATED  
RAIN SHOWERS AND LOW CEILINGS, PRIMARILY ACROSS NORTHEASTERN  
OHIO AND NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA. ADDITIONAL NON-VFR POSSIBLE  
IN SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY,  
MAINLY EAST OF I-77.  
 
 
   
MARINE  
 
LOW PRESSURE WILL CROSS THE LAKE THIS EVENING INTO WEDNESDAY  
BEFORE DEPARTING TO THE EAST WEDNESDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL BE  
VARIABLE AT AROUND 10 KNOTS OR LESS THROUGH TONIGHT BEFORE  
BECOMING NORTH/NORTHEAST AND INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS DURING  
THE DAY WEDNESDAY AND 15 TO 25 KNOTS WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH  
MUCH OF THURSDAY. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES AND BEACH HAZARDS  
STATEMENTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED FROM RENO BEACH OH EAST FROM 00Z/8  
PM WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING. WINDS/WAVES MAY BE  
LOWER IN THE FAR WESTERN BASIN GIVEN THE SHORTER FETCH SO HAVE  
HELD OFF ON HEADLINES FOR THIS AREA; MAY NEED TO ADD MAUMEE BAY  
TO RENO BEACH IN A FUTURE UPDATE IF WINDS/WAVES TREND HIGHER.  
WATERSPOUTS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THE LOW/COLD FRONT PASSAGE TONIGHT  
INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY WITH CHANCES CONTINUING THROUGH WEDNESDAY  
NIGHT AS A TROUGH LINGERS OVER THE REGION.  
 
NORTHEAST WINDS WILL DIMINISH TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS LATE THURSDAY  
NIGHT WITH EAST/NORTHEAST WINDS TO 5 TO 10 KNOTS ANTICIPATED  
FRIDAY. WINDS WILL THEN SHIFT TO THE SOUTHWEST AS A COLD FRONT  
APPROACHES FROM THE WEST ON SATURDAY MORNING BEFORE BECOMING  
NORTHWESTERLY AND INCREASING TO 10 TO 15 KNOTS BEHIND THE FRONT  
SATURDAY NIGHT. WEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY. AS OF  
NOW, MARINE CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN BELOW SMALL CRAFT  
ADVISORY LIMITS, BUT WILL NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON WIND/WAVE  
TRENDS AS THE WEEKEND APPROACHES.  
 
 
   
CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
OH...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY  
EVENING FOR OHZ007-009>012-089.  
PA...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY  
EVENING FOR PAZ001.  
MARINE...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 11 PM EDT  
THURSDAY FOR LEZ143>148.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 PM EDT  
THURSDAY FOR LEZ149.  
 
 
 
 
 
SYNOPSIS...GARUCKAS  
NEAR TERM...GARUCKAS  
SHORT TERM...GARUCKAS  
LONG TERM...GARUCKAS  
AVIATION...SAUNDERS  
MARINE...15  
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