WLWT News 5 Chief Meteorologist
UPDATES: Tornado watch issued for Cincinnati region ahead of strong storms
Updated: 10:50 PM EDT Apr 2, 2025
COM. WELL, THE WEATHER TEAM’S BEEN HUDDLED OVER THERE IN THE WEATHER CENTER. ADAM AND KEVIN IS THERE AS WELL, AND I KEEP SEEING YOU GUYS POINTING UP AT THE MONITORS AND ANALYZING SOME OF THIS STUFF. THIS IS NASTY STUFF. AND IT’S YOU KEEP WATCHING IT OVER INDIANAPOLIS AND IT’S MOVING CLOSER, AND IT WILL BE HERE VERY SOON. YEAH. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW HOURS, WE’LL START TO SEE IT, ESPECIALLY NEXT HOUR OR SO. EVEN A HALF HOUR SHOULD BE STARTING TO GET INTO SOUTHEAST INDIANA AND THEN INTO OUR AREA OVER THE NEXT HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF OR SO AS WE GO INTO TONIGHT. BUT WE’VE BEEN KIND OF WATCHING IT CLOSELY, BECAUSE THAT IS ONE GOOD THING, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE SAW ON SUNDAY. WE GET TO WATCH THIS STORM DEVELOP AS IT’S MOVING ACROSS INDIANA. WE GET TO SEE THE HOW IT INTERACTS WITH THE ATMOSPHERE THERE BEFORE IT GETS TO OUR AREA. AND SO WE CAN KIND OF SEE ANY TRENDS, ANY WEAKENING, STRENGTHENING IN SOME OF THE STORMS. YOU STILL NEED TO BE WEATHER AWARE THOUGH, NO MATTER AS WE GO INTO TONIGHT, WE DO HAVE THAT ONE WARNING TO OUR NORTHWEST. IT JUST BARELY SKIRTS FAYETTE IN UNION COUNTIES HERE, AND YOU CAN SEE THE MAIN MASS OF THE STORM. IN FACT, MOSTLY NORTH OF THE OF YOU ALL JUST IN THOSE NORTHERN PARTS OF THE COUNTY. SO THAT’S GOING TO BE STAYING TO OUR NORTH. NO THREAT TOWARDS PARTS OF BUTLER, THE REST OF FAYETTE, UNION COUNTY, JUST SOME RAIN MOVING IN FOR YOU, BUT WE ARE KEEPING OUR EYE ON THE REST OF THIS LINE BACK THROUGH BLOOMINGTON, DOWN THROUGH EVANSVILLE, YOU CAN SEE SOME MINOR BOWING SEGMENTS IN THERE, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE TRACKING UP INTO OUR AREA AS WE GO INTO TONIGHT. SO WE ARE WATCHING A FEW INDICATIONS. WE’RE WATCHING A FEW THINGS OF SOME BOUNDARY LAYERS IN THAT LINE THAT WE’RE GOING TO BE KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON AS IT MOVES INTO OUR AREA. BUT AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE’RE GOING TO BE SEEING THE HIGHEST THREATS OF THOSE STRONG STRAIGHT LINE DAMAGING WINDS. THAT’S THE HIGHEST THREAT WE COULD SEE TONIGHT. BUT WE’RE ALSO GOING TO BE WATCHING FOR ANY OF THOSE EMBEDDED TORNADOES BECAUSE LIKE SUNDAY, THOSE STRONG WINDS CAN ALSO CAUSE SOME QUICK SPIN UPS INTO PARTS OF OUR AREA WITH SOME LARGE HAIL AND JUST EVEN GENERAL HAIL POSSIBLE. THAT COULD CAUSE MAYBE SOME MINOR DAMAGING FLOODING. WISE SHOULD BE LOW FOR TONIGHT, BUT LATER THIS WEEK THAT THREAT COULD BE INCREASING AS WE GO AHEAD IN THE AREA. WE DO HAVE THAT TORNADO WATCH OUT ACROSS OUR AREA THAT GOES UNTIL 4 A.M. THURSDAY. AS I MENTIONED AT THE TOP OF THE SHOW, LIKELY LONG FOR THE WATCH, BUT THEY ALWAYS ISSUE IT A LITTLE BIT LONGER FOR ANY KIND OF LINGERING CELLS. BUT THIS SYSTEM IS GOING TO BE MOVING THROUGH HERE PRETTY QUICKLY AS WE GO THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. AND THEN, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, AFTER TONIGHT, SEVERE THREAT. WE’RE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH DAILY RAIN CHANCES. SO THAT’S WHY WE ALSO HAVE THAT FLOOD. WATCH OUT UNTIL 8 A.M. ON SUNDAY. WITH THOSE DAILY RAIN CHANCES COULD LEAD TO SOME LOCALIZED HIGH WATER ISSUES. SO AS WE LOOK AHEAD AT FUTURECAST, WE’LL HAVE THESE SCATTERED SHOWERS. THIS LINE OF STORMS MOVING IN CLOSER TO 1030 11:00. AND THEN IT GETS A LITTLE BIT CLOSER INTO PARTS OF NORTHERN KENTUCKY. PARTS OF THE METRO, POSSIBLY CLOSER TO 12. AND THEN AS WE GO PAST MIDNIGHT, 1:00, 2:00, IT’S GOING TO BE SWEEPING PRETTY QUICKLY ACROSS PARTS OF SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO, PARTS OF CENTRAL OHIO, AND KIND OF OUT OF OUR AREA. SO ONCE THAT MAIN LINE IS THROUGH YOUR AREA, THERE’S NOT GOING TO BE NECESSARILY ANYTHING SEVERE BEHIND IT, JUST SOME GUSTY WINDS, SOME RAIN, LIKELY SOME THUNDER THAT COULD KEEP YOU UP. BUT BECAUSE IT’S MOVING THROUGH SO LATE, THAT’S WHY WE SAY IT’S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THOSE ALERTS ON YOUR PHONES CHARGED. SO IF YOU DO LOSE POWER, YOU CAN STILL GET ALERTED IF A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING OR TORNADO WARNING, ANY KIND OF WARNING MOVES INTO YOUR AREA. SO WE’RE GOING TO BE WATCHING THAT CLOSELY AS WE GO THROUGH THE REST OF THURSDAY MORNING. GENERAL SCATTERED SHOWERS FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE. NO BIG ISSUES THERE BESIDES WET ROADWAYS. WE’LL HAVE MORE HEAVY RAIN MOVE THROUGH FOR THURSDAY EVENING INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. SOME MORE STORMS IN THAT FORECAST THREAT SHOULD BE RELATIVELY LOW AS WE GO THURSDAY NIGHT AND THEN INTO FRIDAY. SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS HANG AROUND, BUT YOU NOTICE WE DO STILL HAVE SOME LULLS BETWEEN. THE HEAVIEST RAIN, SO THAT SHOULD HELP MANY OF OUR CREEKS AND STREAMS AS WE GO THROUGH THIS WEEK WHERE WE HAVE SOME BOUTS OF HEAVY RAIN THAT CAN RISE, THE CREEKS AND STREAMS, MAYBE FLOOD SOME LOW LYING AREAS, BUT THEN THERE WILL BE SOME BREAKS THAT CAN HOPEFULLY HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT. HOWEVER, AS WE GO INTO FRIDAY NIGHT, THEN INTO SATURDAY, WE’LL WATCH THIS SYSTEM HERE, KIND OF THIS SETUP TO SEE HOW IT COMES INTO PLAY. BECAUSE THIS LINE OF SHOWERS COULD BE KIND OF MOVING OVER THE SAME AREAS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WHAT WE CALL TRAINING. AND THAT COULD DEFINITELY LEAD TO SOME MORE SIGNIFICANT FLOODING ISSUES THAT WILL BE WATCHING FOR CLOSELY THERE ON SATURDAY. SO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE GO LATER ON INTO THE WEEK. BUT RIGHT NOW, STILL IN THE MID 70S, WE’RE GOING TO BE KEEPING A MILD OUT THERE TONIGHT AS THESE STORMS MOVE THROUGH. 70 EVENTUALLY TURNING DOWN INTO THE 60S BY TOMORROW WITH THOSE STORMS, AS I MENTIONED, THAT RAIN CONTINUES BY FRIDAY. WE’LL LIKELY SEE THE LITTLE MIAMI GREAT MIAMI RIVER GETTING INTO THEIR ACTION STAGE. THE SAME FOR THE OHIO RIVER, POTENTIALLY GETTING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER AS WE THEN GO TOWARDS THE WEEKEND WHERE TEMPERATURES THEN BEGIN TO COOL DOWN ON THE BACK SIDE OF THIS SYSTEM. SO FROM SATURDAY TO SUNDAY, GOING FROM THE 60S TO THE 50S, AND THEN WE’LL LIKELY STAY IN THE 50S, EVEN UPPER 40S AS WE GO INTO NEXT WEEK. BUT AS YOU MENTIONED B
Wednesday is a Weather Alert Day as we prepare for another night of strong storms.LIVE RADAR // LATEST WEATHER ALERTS // HOUR BY HOURA Flood Watch is in effect Wednesday-Sunday. 10 p.m.- A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for parts of Union County and Fayette County until 11 p.m.9:14 p.m. A TORNADO WATCH has been issued for the Greater Cincinnati area as strong storms move closer to the region. Tornadoes, damaging winds and hail are possible with this system. The watch is in effect until 4 a.m. Thursday.8:54 p.m. A tornado watch is likely to be issued for the Greater Cincinnati region soon. Damaging winds will remain a concern into the overnight hours.A line of storms is gradually becoming better organized, with lots of wind energy potential. The main area of concern is late Wednesday evening as a line of storms moves in generally from the west and pushing east after 10 p.m. This brings the threat for all severe weather hazards: strong wind around 60-75 mph, tornadoes, hail and heavy rain. This system stalls out overhead and that then acts as a conveyor belt for rounds of heavy rain to come and go for the rest of the week. This leads to several inches of rain piling up and creating flooding concerns. By Thursday morning, 2-3 inches of rain will have fallen in some communities, which leads to a flash flooding potential.Totals will be around 3-6 inches, with localized areas of 7+ inches possible. If your basement typically floods, this will be another week of checking on the sump pump. By Friday, the Little & Great Miami Rivers will rise into their flood stages. The Ohio River is also expected to reach its Action Stage of 40′ by Friday morning and continues to rise into the weekend. If you live in a flood-prone area, you’ll likely see high water issues at times, and we could see some area roads closed for standing water.
Wednesday is a Weather Alert Day as we prepare for another night of strong storms.
LIVE RADAR // LATEST WEATHER ALERTS // HOUR BY HOUR
A Flood Watch is in effect Wednesday-Sunday.
10 p.m.- A Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been issued for parts of Union County and Fayette County until 11 p.m.
9:14 p.m. A TORNADO WATCH has been issued for the Greater Cincinnati area as strong storms move closer to the region. Tornadoes, damaging winds and hail are possible with this system. The watch is in effect until 4 a.m. Thursday.
8:54 p.m. A tornado watch is likely to be issued for the Greater Cincinnati region soon. Damaging winds will remain a concern into the overnight hours.
A line of storms is gradually becoming better organized, with lots of wind energy potential.
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A Tornado Watch is likely coming soon to Greater Cincinnati. As we’ve said, make sure your phone is charged now before the storms arrive, and have alert sounds on so you can get woken up if a warning is issued in your area #Cincinnati @KevinWLWT pic.twitter.com/h872qvxD5N
— Adam Burniston WLWT (@AdamBurnistonWX) April 3, 2025
The main area of concern is late Wednesday evening as a line of storms moves in generally from the west and pushing east after 10 p.m. This brings the threat for all severe weather hazards: strong wind around 60-75 mph, tornadoes, hail and heavy rain.
This system stalls out overhead and that then acts as a conveyor belt for rounds of heavy rain to come and go for the rest of the week. This leads to several inches of rain piling up and creating flooding concerns. By Thursday morning, 2-3 inches of rain will have fallen in some communities, which leads to a flash flooding potential.
Totals will be around 3-6 inches, with localized areas of 7+ inches possible. If your basement typically floods, this will be another week of checking on the sump pump. By Friday, the Little & Great Miami Rivers will rise into their flood stages. The Ohio River is also expected to reach its Action Stage of 40′ by Friday morning and continues to rise into the weekend. If you live in a flood-prone area, you’ll likely see high water issues at times, and we could see some area roads closed for standing water.
