Easter week severe storms threaten millions in Ohio Valley, Northeast on Monday
Cities in the risk zone include Columbus and Cincinnati in Ohio, Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, Charleston in West Virginia and Lexington in Kentucky. Forecasters say the primary threats will be damaging winds and large hail, but some tornadoes are also possible.
Easter week weather forecast includes severe weather threat
More than 28 million people in the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians will be at risk of seeing severe weather on Monday as an active weather pattern remains in place across the Northeast. FOX Weather Meteorologist Kendall Smith breaks down the forecast on Sunday, April 13.
CINCINNATI – Parts of the Ohio Valley are bracing for rain and the potential for severe weather to kick off Easter week, as a fast-moving cold front pushes through the region on Monday.
Cities across Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are under a heightened risk for severe weather from Monday into early Tuesday.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) says more than 28 million people across the region will be at risk of severe thunderstorms on Monday. However, the SPC placed more than 9 million people from Kentucky to Pennsylvania in a Level 2 risk on its 5-point severe thunderstorm risk scale.
Cities in the risk zone include Columbus and Cincinnati in Ohio, Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, Charleston in West Virginia and Lexington in Kentucky.
Forecasters say the primary threats will be damaging winds and large hail, but some tornadoes are also possible.
In addition to those extreme weather threats, any thunderstorm that develops can produce frequent cloud-to-ground lightning and periods of torrential rainfall.
While the front is expected to move through quickly, limiting total rainfall accumulations, localized totals of 1-2 inches are still possible.
EASTER TRADITION GETS A MAKEOVER WITH DYED POTATOES
The increased rain threat comes at a time when many rivers in the region are already running high, with some still dealing with lingering impacts from recent flooding, including along the Ohio and Kentucky rivers.
In Cincinnati, the Ohio River rose above 60 feet – its highest level since at least 2018 – prompting temporary closures of riverfront parks and roadways and the activation of floodgates to protect low-lying areas.
Farther west, in Princeton, Indiana, cleanup efforts are still underway following an EF-1 tornado that touched down on Thursday.
The storm damaged dozens of homes, and now the region faces additional showers and storms that could complicate recovery efforts.
"There's going to be enough heat and instability in the atmosphere, triggered by that cold front, to support strong storms that will intensify through the afternoon and persist into the evening," FOX Weather Meteorologist Steve Bender said. "That means places like Pittsburgh and Charleston, West Virginia, could face a nighttime severe weather threat, which is always more dangerous."
DOWNLOAD THE FREE FOX WEATHER APP
Drone video shows still-flooded Ohio River in Cincinnati
The Ohio River in Cincinnati crested on Monday evening at 60 feet high. The river hadn't reached levels that high since 2018.
Following the passage of the cold front, the weather pattern remains uncertain for the remainder of the holiday week.
Some computer forecast models suggest additional weak frontal boundaries could approach the region, but they are not currently expected to bring widespread rainfall due to a lack of instability and moisture.
DRONE VIDEO SHOWS FLOODED OHIO RIVER CREEPING TOWARD CINCINNATI REDS’ STADIUM
Temperatures across the Ohio Valley are expected to remain cooler than average through much of the week.
While mid-April typically sees high temperatures in the mid- to upper 60s, many areas will experience highs several degrees below seasonal averages.