INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA — Severe weather is likely to develop Sunday afternoon and evening across portions of Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania, provided the atmospheric cap erodes as forecast. Meteorologists indicate that damaging winds and large hail are the most probable hazards, though a few tornadoes cannot be ruled out, particularly if any storms remain discrete.
The highlighted risk corridor stretches from southern Indiana and Kentucky northeast through central Ohio into western Pennsylvania, encompassing major cities such as Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Pittsburgh, and Morgantown.
Cap Erosion Key to Storm Intensity
Forecasters emphasize that storm development hinges on the weakening of a mid-level cap, a layer of warm air aloft that can suppress thunderstorm growth. If this cap fully erodes Sunday afternoon, thunderstorms are expected to form along an advancing boundary.
Should storms initiate early enough and remain isolated, supercell structures may develop. Discrete supercells are more capable of producing large hail and brief tornadoes, particularly in environments with sufficient wind shear…