Hail, thunderstorms hit Columbus, Ohio in late March weather swing
A cold front that will bring a wild 50-degree temperature swing to central Ohio dumped hail on the region March 22
Another string of storms is approaching central Ohio but is not expected to produce the same hazardous conditions that have pelted the region with hail and heavy winds over the last few weeks.
The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook March 24 for several Ohio counties, including all of central Ohio. The storms are expected to move through the region between 8 p.m. and 4 a.m. on March 26, according to the weather service’s X page. The storms will start just north of Interstate 70 and move southbound toward the Ohio River overnight, the weather service said.
Most of the seven-county region around Franklin County is in the weather service’s “slight risk” category for severe weather. The chances of severe storms will diminish overnight, according to the weather service.
At the same time, the temperature rollercoaster Ohio has been riding will again start climbing uphill. Columbus set a new monthly record for heat on March 22 before temperatures plunged on March 23. Central Ohio temperatures will rise again on March 26, the weather service says, peaking in the high 70s.
Columbus forecast for rest of the week
Here’s the weather outlook for the rest of the week:
Wednesday, March 25: Partly sunny, with a high near 66. Southeast wind 6 to 11 mph becoming southwest in the afternoon. At night, a slight chance of showers between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 55. Southwest wind 8 to 10 mph, with gusts as high as 21 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday, March 26: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 2 p.m., then a slight chance of showers between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., then a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Partly sunny, with a high near 76. Breezy, with a southwest wind 14 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
At night, a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 8 p.m. Low around 40. Southwest wind around 16 mph becoming west after midnight. Winds could gust as high as 26 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New rainfall amounts between three quarters and one inch possible.
Friday, March 27: Showers, mainly before 8 a.m. High near 46. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible. At night, mostly clear, with a low around 26.
Saturday, March 27: Sunny, with a high near 49. Mostly clear, with a low around 31.
Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at [email protected], at ShahidMeighan on X, and at shahidthereporter.dispatch.com on Bluesky.
