Rain showers and thunderstorms are back in the Columbus weather forecast Saturday, ending a nine-day dry stretch across Central Ohio and putting the afternoon and evening under an Alert Day. The first round of weather was not expected to be severe, but stronger storms could still develop later in the day.
That is why Saturday is getting so much attention now. A shower or storm could reach the area in the late morning ahead of a cold front, but the sharper threat is expected after 3 PM and could last through 11 PM, when a few strong thunderstorms may bring gusty winds, large hail and, in the worst case, an isolated tornado.
The timing matters because the storm risk is not all at once. Early showers were expected to stay below severe levels, while scattered rain showers and thunderstorms could build again Saturday evening, making the window from midafternoon into late night the period that carries the most concern for Central Ohio.
That leaves a gap in the forecast that residents will be watching closely: which parts of Central Ohio see the strongest storms, and which get only brief rain. The broad threat covers the region, but the strongest storms are not expected to be uniform, which is often how a summer setup like this plays out.
Storms were expected to weaken late Saturday night, with warm overnight lows in the upper 60s. On Sunday, a few showers and storms were still possible, mainly in southern and western Ohio, though most areas were expected to stay dry and highs were forecast in the mid-80s.
The unsettled pattern does not end there. Warm and humid air is expected to hold through the work week, bringing multiple chances for showers and thunderstorms before temperatures climb into the low 90s by the end of the week, with heat index values possibly reaching the mid to upper 90s. For now, the immediate concern remains Saturday afternoon and evening, when the strongest storms are most likely to show up.
