533  
FXUS61 KILN 161742  
AFDILN  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH  
142 PM EDT THU JUL 16 2026  
   
WHAT HAS CHANGED  
 
NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES  
 
 
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
1) HOT, HUMID, AND HAZY CONDITIONS CONTINUE.  
 
2) SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP FRIDAY AND  
CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND, BRINGING A RISK FOR LOCALIZED FLASH  
FLOODING AND GUSTY WINDS.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
KEY MESSAGE 1)  
 
MID LEVEL RIDGE AXIS SITUATED NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE  
REGION WILL SAG SLOWLY SOUTH TONIGHT AND BREAK DOWN/ WEAKEN. AS SUCH,  
A VERY MOIST AIRMASS HAS BEGUN TO ENCROACH INTO THE OHIO VALLEY  
REGION ON THURSDAY. THIS HAS ACTED TO RAISE TDS EVEN MORE SO THAN  
YESTERDAY, RESULTING IN SOME VERY MUGGY CONDITIONS. HAVE CONTINUED  
THE SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT FOR HOT AND HUMID CONDITIONS THROUGH  
THURSDAY EVENING. CAMS STILL INDICATE SOME ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM  
ACTIVITY PRIMARILY SOUTH OF I-70 TODAY, SO HAVE KEPT A LOW END POP IN  
THE GRIDS.  
 
WILDFIRE SMOKE FROM THE NORTHERN US/CANADA WILL CONTINUE TO WRAP  
THROUGH THE LARGER FLOW AND INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. HRRR SMOKE MODELING  
SUGGESTS THAT NEAR SURFACE SMOKE WILL PRIMARILY REMAIN ACROSS  
NORTHERN OHIO TODAY BEFORE PERCOLATING SOUTHWARD ON FRIDAY. IT'S NOT  
UNHEARD OF FOR TEMPERATURES TO BE IMPACTED A COUPLE OF DEGREES FROM A  
THICK COLUMN OF SMOKE, AS INSOLATION IS INHIBITED, SO HAVE TWEAKED  
DAILY HIGHS DOWN A COUPLE DEGREES ACCORDINGLY FOR FRIDAY, THOUGH KEPT  
TDS AS IS, GIVEN THE MOIST AIRMASS.  
 
EVEN WITH THE SMOKE AND INCREASING CLOUD COVER, MUGGY CONDITIONS ARE  
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH SCATTERED  
THUNDERSTORMS.  
 
KEY MESSAGE 2)  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ARE REINTRODUCED TO THE FORECAST ON  
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AS MIDLEVEL FLOW BECOMES MORE NORTHWESTERLY AND  
SHORTWAVES MOVE THROUGH THE LARGER FLOW. AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED,  
MOISTURE FROM THE GULF WILL SURGE INTO THE OHIO VALLEY, INCREASING  
PWATS TO 2+ INCHES, WHICH IS WELL ABOVE THE 90% PERCENTILE AND  
NEARING CLIMATOLOGICAL MAXIMUMS. THIS MOIST AIRMASS WILL BE PRESENT  
BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, ALLOWING FOR A SATURATED COLUMN AS WELL AS  
SURFACE TDS IN THE LOW TO MID 70S.  
 
ON FRIDAY, THE FIRST WEAK SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FLOW,  
SPARKING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FRIDAY AFTERNOON INTO LATE  
EVENING. AN INSTABILITY GRADIENT WILL EXIST FROM WEST TO EAST, WITH  
MORE ROBUST INSTABILITY BUILDING IN FROM THE WEST SOUTHWEST.  
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP BEGINNING FRIDAY  
AFTERNOON AND CONTINUING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. SHEAR IS NEARLY  
NON-EXISTANT BUT DCAPE WILL BE OVER 900 J/KG AND MLCAPE WILL 1500  
J/KG+. GIVEN THAT AND THE HIGH PWATS, STORM MOTIONS WILL BE VERY SLOW  
AND WATER LOADED STORMS MAY QUICKLY COLLAPSE, PRODUCING INSTANCES OF  
GUSTY WINDS. LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL MAY RESULT IN ISOLATED FLOODING  
ISSUES.  
 
A LARGER SHORTWAVE WILL THEN PIVOT THROUGH THE FLOW SATURDAY INTO  
SUNDAY, DRAGGING A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM THROUGH THE NORTHERN  
GREAT LAKES REGION. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL SAG INTO OUR AREA  
SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, BRINGING ADDITIONAL  
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES.  
 
GIVEN THE LARGER SHORTWAVE, AROUND 30 KNOTS OF BULK SHEAR WILL SWING  
THROUGH, WHICH (WHILE NOT OVERLY ROBUST) MAY BE ABLE TO HELP SUPPORT  
MORE ORGANIZED THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT AND PROPAGATION. IN ADDITION  
TO THIS, INSTABILITY LOOKS TO BUILD IN AREA WIDE WITH WITH VARIOUS  
GUIDANCE SUGGESTING ANYWHERE BETWEEN 2000-3000 J/KG OF SBCAPE  
AVAILABLE DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON, GETTING PINCHED OFF AS WE HEAD  
INTO THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. MAIN CONCERNS RIGHT NOW ARE DAMAGING  
WIND GUSTS WITH STRONGER STORMS AND WOULD NOT RULE OUT SOME LARGE  
HAIL, ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /13Z THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/  
 
VFR CONDITIONS CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LUK,  
WHERE AN EARLY FRIDAY MORNING MVFR FOG RESTRICTION WAS ADDED.  
 
A VERY ISOLATED SHOWER OR STORM CHANCE EXISTS THIS AFTERNOON FOR  
KDAY, KLUK, KCVG BUT CHANCES ARE LOW ENOUGH THAT CHOSE TO NOT INCLUDE  
IN THE TAF AT THIS TIME. ANY STORMS WOULD DISSIPATE SHORTLY AFTER  
SUNSET. SCATTERED CU LINGER THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY AND INTO THE  
OVERNIGHT HOURS. A MID LEVEL DECK BUILDS IN ON FRIDAY AHEAD OF  
THUNDERSTORMS THAT ARRIVE FRIDAY EVENING, PRIMARILY FOR WESTERN  
SITES. HAVE INTRODUCED THIS IN THE LONGER CVG TAF.  
 
WINDS OUT OF THE NORTH TODAY WILL BECOME VARIABLE OVERNIGHT BEFORE  
SWINGING AROUND TO EASTERLY BY FRIDAY MORNING, THEN SOUTHERLY BY  
FRIDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
OUTLOOK...THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY  
AFTERNOON INTO THE OVERNIGHT.  
 
 
   
ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
OH...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR OHZ026-034-035-  
042>046-051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088.  
KY...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR KYZ091>093.  
IN...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT FOR INZ074.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...AIENA  
AVIATION...AIENA  
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