Cincinnati woke up to clear skies and a mild 66°F at Lunken Field early Saturday, but the calm is on borrowed time. A strong cold front is on the move and will shove a band of showers and thunderstorms across the region from late morning into the afternoon, with temperatures topping out near 75°F before sliding back into the low 60s later in the day.
Showers And Thunderstorms Today
Forecasters are calling for a slight chance of showers between about 7 a.m. and 8 a.m., before rain settles in more steadily from roughly 8 a.m. through about 5 p.m. ET. Expect showers with scattered thunderstorms mixed in, and rain chances peaking near 90%. Most spots should see between a tenth and a quarter of an inch of new rainfall, though brief heavy downpours could quickly cut visibility.
Southwest winds will run about 7 to 13 mph, with gusts up to around 23 mph this afternoon. According to the National Weather Service, the axis of the strongest storms has shifted east of Cincinnati, but locally gusty thunderstorms and lightning are still on the table here.
Plan For The Commute
Both the morning and afternoon drives could be slower than usual as wet roads and occasional heavier bursts of rain move through. Leave early if you can, flip on the headlights, and ease off the gas if you hit standing water. Gusty winds around the front may make things a bit squirrelly for high-profile vehicles and unsecured outdoor items, so it is a good time to lock down patio furniture and anything light enough to blow around.
If you have outdoor plans this afternoon, keep a solid indoor backup plan. Conditions should improve once the front passes, but the wettest and windiest weather lines up with the middle of the day.
Cooler Air And Frost Risk Sunday Night
Once the front moves through, a much cooler air mass settles in. Sunday looks mostly sunny with a high around 61°F, and Monday will be stuck in the upper 50s. The bigger story comes late Sunday into early Monday, when overnight lows in colder neighborhoods may slip into the low-to-mid 30s. That brings a chance of frost, so gardeners will want to cover tender plants and haul potted plants or outdoor pets inside if possible…