Blistering heat & afternoon pop-up storms for Columbus area.

Columbus and Central Ohio Weather

QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:

FORECAST DISCUSSION:

Today we turned up the heat with the hottest day of the year (so far), as temps surged into the lower to mid 90s in spots. We have been on the edge of a building ridge, and the heat of the day was enough to break through with storms popping up across our area. These storms will last through about sunset tonight, and then give way to a very warm and muggy night.

Overnight, skies will be partly cloudy, with lows dropping almost a dozen above normal into the middle to lower 70s. Expect partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies early on Tuesday, with again, the ring of fire type storms popping up as the heat gets into the upper 80s to lower 90s by late morning into the afternoon and lasting through the evening on Tuesday. Highs will be similar to today in the middle 90s.

On Wednesday the ridge will expand a bit more into our area, with highs still in the middle 90s, and a lesser chance of an afternoon pop-up storm. Thursday that ridge should expand enough to provide more of a block to any afternoon and evening storms. Highs will push mid to upper 90s on Thursday. And with the ridge at its peak of our area by Friday, temps should push to the hottest of the week and year in the upper 90s with tons of sun.

Over the weekend, the ridge will slip away and weaken its grip on our area. So thankfully we will see a few clouds on Saturday, but only a slight dip in temps to the mid to upper 90s. Sunday will have a chance of storms later in the day with highs back into the middle 90s.

Even better news will come for Sunday night, into Monday morning, as a cold front will push in, and bring chances of very well needed rain for some of us, and more importantly a cool down, which will bring temps back closer to normal for the early part of next work week, into the middle 80s.