268 FXUS61 KCLE 260141 AFDCLEArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Cleveland OH 941 PM EDT Thu Sep 25 2025
.SYNOPSIS... The upper level trough over the Great Lakes region will slowly departs to the east through Friday. Ridging will begin to build over the Great Plains as high pressure moves into the region late Friday. A weak cold front will move through the region on Sunday as high pressure builds in behind early next week.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
9:41 PM EDT Update...
Most of the forecast remains valid per latest trends in obs and model guidance. Only change made late this evening was to expand 15%-20% POP`s slightly over/near western and central Lake Erie and in/near Mid OH to account for recent trends in radar data and NWP model guidance. Very isolated rain showers should impact northern OH and NW PA through about daybreak Friday, as multiple and subtle surface trough axes, tied to disturbances aloft, sweep generally E`ward through our CWA. Despite boundary layer stabilization via nocturnal cooling through daybreak and shortly thereafter, low-level convergence/moist ascent along the surface trough axes should release weak boundary layer CAPE amidst non-excessive boundary layer CIN (e.g. surface-based CIN) to generate very isolated showers. Please see discussion below for further details.
Previous Discussion from 3:02 PM EDT...
An upper level trough is currently situated over the lower Great Lakes and extends down into the lower Mississippi Valley. This feature will progress slowly to the east through Friday dragging a surface cold front along with it. PoP chances have been decreasing throughout the day today, though there are a few isolated showers in eastern Ohio and should expect those to move east this evening. There will be northwest flow behind the cold front tonight into Friday morning and with a little lake induced instability, there will be potential for scattered lake effect showers across the Snow Belt through midday Friday. High pressure will be building in throughout the day and drier weather will be expected through the remainder of the near term. Additionally, with the precipitation that fell across the region the past couple of days and clearing this evening, there will be potential for fog for to form across the region. Most of it will be patchy and confined to lower valleys, but areas of fog will be possible from I-71 eastward. Temperatures will warm slightly for Friday with highs in the mid to upper 70s and overnight lows down into the mid 50s.
&&
.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/... High pressure will move into the region this weekend and quiet weather is expected through the weekend. An upper level low will be spinning across the mid-south that will bring in some cloud cover across parts of the region, but no precipitation is expected with this. A cold front will be slowly moving through the Great Lakes region as its parent low pressure system moves into the Hudson Bay This will stale out to our north and become fairly stationary by Sunday and we will stay dry due to the lack of moisture in the region. Temperatures for this weekend will have a slight warming trend with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s and overnight lows in the mid 50s.
&&
.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Quiet weather is expected through the long term as high pressure will stationed over the region for the majority of the long term. Temperatures to start the week will be in the upper 70s and low 80s. A cold front to the north may drift south during the middle of the week and bring in some cooler temperatures but no precipitation. Temperatures in the later part of the week will be cooler in the low 70s for highs and overnight lows will drop into the upper 40s and low 50s.
&&
.AVIATION /00Z Friday THROUGH Tuesday/... Multiple surface trough axes tied to disturbances aloft will sweep generally E`ward through our region through 12Z/Fri. Thereafter, a surface ridge builds in earnest from the Ozarks and vicinity through 00Z/Sat. A weak MSLP gradient is expected to promote calm or light and variable surface winds in northern OH and NW PA through the TAF period.
Isolated rain showers are expected along and ahead of the surface trough axes through 12Z/Fri, while very isolated thunderstorms are expected along and ahead of the trough axes through ~04Z/Fri. Brief MVFR to IFR and brief/erratic surface wind gusts up to 20 to 30 knots are forecast with showers and especially storms this evening. Given the isolated coverage of the showers and storms, there is low confidence that convection will impact any of the TAF sites.
Outside of convection, widespread VFR are expected for the time being. However, clearing sky generally from west to east, weak or calm surface winds, and sufficient low-level moisture will allow widespread fog of varying density to form overnight tonight, especially after 04Z/Fri and inland from Lake Erie. Ceilings and visibility as low as LIFR are expected with the fog. Later Friday morning, the onset of daytime warming and associated convective mixing of the boundary layer will allow fog to dissipate and give way to widespread VFR between 12Z/Fri and 15Z/Fri. Note: few to scattered cumuli with bases near 5kft AGL are expected late Friday morning through early evening.
Outlook...Fair weather and VFR expected through Monday. Isolated rain showers with non-VFR possible in the southeastern-third of our region this Monday night through Tuesday.
&&
.MARINE... A low pressure system and associated surface front will continue to depart the region and allow for northwest flow to persist on the lake. Another trough moving through the Great Lakes will allow for slightly elevated west to northwest flow to continue on Friday. For Saturday, the lake will be between the trough to north and a low pressure system moving up the East Coast and southwest flow will overtake the lake. After that, high pressure will enter from the west for the second half of the weekend into next week and light flow will be expected on the lake with some variable direction depending on lake/land breezes. No marine hazards are expected at this time.
&&
.CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...None. PA...None. MARINE...None.
&&
$$
SYNOPSIS...23 NEAR TERM...Jaszka/23 SHORT TERM...23 LONG TERM...23 AVIATION...Jaszka MARINE...Sefcovic
NWS CLE Office Area Forecast Discussion