484 FXUS61 KCLE 220119 AFDCLEArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Cleveland OH 919 PM EDT Sun Sep 21 2025
.SYNOPSIS... A broad trough of low pressure will continue to move into the Upper Great Lakes tonight. This trough will continue east on Monday with a weak cold front settling south into the local area Monday night. The front will stall just south of the area until another low pressure system tracks from the southern Plains towards the Central Great Lakes on Thursday.
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.NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/... 900 PM Update... Scattered showers continue across the area, however there has been a notable downward trend in lightning/rainfall rates. This trend should continue over the next few hours, however the next round of showers/storms may move into the area with the next piece of energy after midnight tonight. These storms should continue to lose steam as they move into a more stable/worked over air mass over the next few hours. Made adjustments to PoPs based on latest radar trends and new available high res guidance, but additional changes may be needed as 00Z guidance continues to trickle in and the precip to the west approaches the local area. Either way, any overnight storms should remain below severe limits.
Previous Discussion... The airmass has been slow to moisten and destabilize today which has thus far had a limiting effect on showers and thunderstorms. A broad trough at the surface and aloft is moving from the Upper Midwest into the Great Lakes region. An area of light showers did move through Toledo and cloud cover associated with this activity has spread east and limited heating through early afternoon. A few thunderstorms are starting to develop along a boundary from near Marysville to Marion to the lake breeze in Cleveland. Scattered activity is expected to increase/continue along this boundary while gradually moving northeast this evening. ML CAPE is likely to increase to about 1000 J/Kg and effective sheer is increasing to 25- 30 knots. Our first robust storm in southern Huron County has exhibited some mid-level rotation and model soundings show veering flow with height. With that said, mid-level lapse rates are weak and that may prevent additional strengthening. We remain in a marginal risk of severe weather and will be monitoring convection through the evening, especially where shear may be locally higher along the lake breeze.
One shortwave will generally pass east of the area through 03Z, but deep layer moisture advection is expected to continued overnight and so could additional showers and thunderstorms. Dewpoints are forecast to be in the low to mid 60s by morning and PW values will reach 1.7 inches by 18Z. More cloud cover is expected to be around on Monday and that will keep instability a little lower. However, we do expect to see showers and thunderstorms expand in coverage by early afternoon as a stronger shortwave trough approaches the region. Trying to place a surface boundary is going to be difficult as a trough passes north of the area through midday. We do receive some minimal cooling in the column and temperatures will drop back into the 70s. Thunderstorms are expected to be efficient rain producers on Monday and bring some much needed rain to the area. The Storm Prediction Center has also highlighted the area in a marginal risk for severe weather. Precipitation amounts through Monday look to range from .75 to 1.25" of rain as the trough axis swings through.
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.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/... By Tuesday an elongated upper level trough will extend from eastern Quebec to the Upper Great Lakes to another trough over the Rocky Mountains. The Great Lakes trough will drift eastward maintaining potential for additional showers and thunderstorms on Tuesday. Temperatures will remain in the low to mid 70s given the clouds and showers with a general 0.25-0.75 inch of rain expected through Tuesday night.
The pattern becomes messy by Wednesday as a broad upper level trough over the Plains curves northeast, taking on a slight negative tilt. Both the 12Z GFS and ECMWF have trended towards surface low pressure reaching the Mid-Mississippi Valley by midday on Wednesday then continuing northeast towards the Great Lakes. It looks like a break in the rain is possible on Tuesday night and perhaps the first part of Wednesday before the next good round of rain arrives with this system. Temperatures recover a couple degrees on Wednesday then cooler again for Thursday.
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.LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... Upper level and surface low pressure over the Central Great Lakes will maintain active weather on Thursday and perhaps into Friday before departing to the east on Saturday. Will have pops in the forecast into Saturday with a drying trend expected towards Sunday. Temperatures will also gradually trend up over the weekend.
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.AVIATION /00Z Monday THROUGH Friday/... Scattered showers and thunderstorms associated with a shortwave moving east across a slow-moving warm front will continue to northeast across the area this evening into tonight. Showers/storms should remain to the east of KTOL/KFDY for the next several hours, but can`t rule out a stray shower or thunderstorm skimming the vicinity of these terminals at some point this evening. In general, the greatest likelihood of showers/storms will lie from KCLE to KMFD east with thunder chances decreasing with the loss of diurnal instability this evening. Showers should generally diminish and/or exit to the east between 03-06Z tonight, however showers may linger in the vicinity of KERI through the overnight hours. Any showers/storms that move directly over terminals could produce non-VFR ceilings/visibilities and breezy winds to 25 knots.
Attention will then turn upstream to the convection that is currently moving across northern Indiana. There`s still uncertainty in how well the convection holds together as it moves east towards the local area overnight, but currently thinking there`s a good chance of showers making it to KTOL later tonight with showers potentially progressing east and possibly filling in across the remainder of the CWA Monday morning. A more potent shortwave will move into the area late in the TAF period, which could result in scattered showers/storms. With that being said, confidence is low due to the potential for early-day showers and perhaps stabilizing cloud cover. Changes to the forecast are likely as confidence in the mesoscale environment increases. Either way, any showers/storms late tonight through the end of the TAF period could produce non-VFR conditions. Some guidance members are hinting at potential for lower ceilings (either low-end VFR or MVFR) due to the moist environment Monday morning into Monday afternoon so have started to trend ceilings a bit lower with this update.
Winds will generally be out of the south at 6 to 12 knots with occasional gusts to 20 knots possible. Wind direction will likely become a bit more southwesterly on Monday afternoon.
Outlook...Periodic non-VFR are expected with scattered showers and thunderstorms through Friday.
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.MARINE... A front remains stalled in vicinity of the southern shore of Lake Erie through this early evening as a ridge lingers over the lake. Later this evening through the first hour or two of Monday, the front will sweep N`ward across the lake as a warm front and as the ridge exits to the north and east. Behind the warm front, a ridge centered near the southern Appalachians builds through Monday night. SE`erly winds of 5 to 15 knots veer to S`erly to SW`erly with the warm front passage and then remain S`erly to SW`erly around 5 to 15 knots through Monday night. These winds will flirt with 20 knots at times tonight into Monday morning. Given wind speeds are expected to be marginal at worst, refrained from issuing a Small Craft Advisory. Waves will remain primarily 3 feet or less through Monday night, but occasional 4 footers are expected in open U.S. waters after midnight tonight through the early afternoon on Monday.
A cold front drifts SE`ward across Lake Erie on Tuesday through Tuesday night and will be followed by a ridge building from the James Bay area. The cold front passage and subsequent building ridge will cause SW`erly winds around 5 to 15 knots to veer to NE`erly as waves remain 3 feet or less. The ridge will exit generally E`ward on Wednesday through Thursday evening as the embedded high pressure center moves from the James Bay area toward New England. NE`erly to E`erly winds around 5 to 15 knots should veer to SE`erly Thursday evening as waves remain 3 feet or less. On Friday, a warm front should sweep N`ward across Lake Erie and then a cold front should sweep SE`ward across the lake by the end of the day as a low moves NE`ward in vicinity of Lake Erie. The warm front passage will cause SE`erly winds around 5 to 15 knots to veer to S`erly to SW`erly and then the cold front passage should cause winds to veer to primarily NW`erly as wind speeds remain around 5 to 15 knots. Waves should remain 3 feet or less.
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.CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...None. PA...None. MARINE...None.
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SYNOPSIS...10 NEAR TERM...10/15 SHORT TERM...10 LONG TERM...10 AVIATION...15 MARINE...Jaszka
NWS cle Office Area Forecast Discussion