WLWT News 5 Chief Meteorologist
UPDATES: Tornado watch issued for Cincinnati region ahead of strong storms
WEATHER IS MOVING IN. CHECK OUT THE RADAR BEHIND US AS A NASTY LINE OF STORMS RIGHT HERE ON THE DOORSTEP NOW. THANKS FOR JOINING US HERE AT 11:00. I’M MIKE DARDIS AND GOOD EVENING TO YOU. I’M SHEREE PAOLELLO, SO IT IS GOING TO BE A LONG AND LOUD COUPLE OF HOURS HERE. ALL OF GREATER CINCINNATI, INCLUDING ALL OF YOU IN KENTUCKY AND INDIANA, ARE UNDER A TORNADO WATCH RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE LIVE TEAM COVERAGE FOR YOU TONIGHT AS PEOPLE PREP FOR THE STORM TO ROLL IN HERE. WE BEGIN WITH CHIEF METEOROLOGIST KEVIN ROBINSON WITH THE VERY LATEST. HI, KEVIN. HEY. GOOD EVENING, MIKE AND SHEREE. WELL, A COUPLE OF THINGS TO UPDATE ON. LET’S TALK ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENED SO FAR HERE TONIGHT. ONE, WE HAD A CAP IN PLACE IN OUR ATMOSPHERE SO THAT AT LEAST PREVENTED ANY SUPERCELLS OR WHAT WE CALL PARTICULARLY INTENSE STORMS THAT WERE RUNNING AHEAD OF THE LINE FROM ERUPTING ACROSS THE TRI-STATE. THAT’S A POSITIVE PART OF THE FORECAST HERE. ALSO, I WILL SAY THAT, AND THIS IS JUST BEING HONEST OVERALL, LOOKING AT THE ORGANIZATION OF THE LINE OF STORMS TONIGHT, WHILE IT IS STILL INTENSE OUT HERE, AND I CERTAINLY THINK SEVERE WEATHER CONTINUES TO BE AN ISSUE THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS ARE GOING TO BE GETTING READY TO GO TO BED HERE SHORTLY. I CAN’T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING ABLE TO GET THESE SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS WHILE YOU SLEEP THROUGH THE NIGHT TONIGHT. NOW, WITH ALL OF THAT BEING SAID, I HAVE SEEN SOMEWHAT OF A WEAKENING TREND IN THE PAST HOUR OR TWO IN THE OVERALL APPEARANCE AND STRUCTURE OF THE LINE OF STORMS. SO LET’S GET RIGHT INTO IT AND TALK ABOUT WHAT’S HAPPENING HERE. WE’VE HAD A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR NORTHERN UNION COUNTY, BUT THAT WEATHER NEVER REALLY IMPACTED THOSE OF YOU IN UNION COUNTY. IT WENT UP NORTH OF THE DAYTON AREA. BUT HERE’S THE STORMS NOW JUST BEGINNING TO APPROACH SOUTHEAST INDIANA. AND WHILE THESE ARE INTENSE STORMS, I WANT YOU TO NOTE THERE ARE ONLY SEVERE WEATHER WARNED RIGHT NOW FOR WIND. THAT IS THE PRIMARY THREAT. WE KEEP WATCHING THEM DOWN FROM GREENSBURG OVER TOWARDS COLUMBUS. SO THEY ARE JUST NOW ABOUT TO APPROACH SOUTHEAST INDIANA. SO WITHIN THE NEXT HALF AN HOUR TO 45 MINUTES, THESE STORMS WILL BEGIN TO APPROACH MAYBE WESTERN PARTS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY. FAYETTE UNION COUNTIES UP HERE. WE’LL PROBABLY GET SOME SEVERE WARNINGS OUT OF THESE, AS WELL AS EVEN RIPLEY COUNTY AT THE MOMENT. THE PRIMARY THREAT REMAINS. THE CONCERN FOR DAMAGING WINDS HERE, AS THIS LINE OF STORMS EVENTUALLY MOVES TOWARDS SOUTHEAST INDIANA. WHAT I’M KEEPING A REALLY CLOSE EYE ON THE SEGMENT OF LINE HERE IS FROM BLOOMINGTON DOWN TOWARDS LOUISVILLE. THIS LINE HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY NASTY THROUGHOUT THE EVENING. THERE WERE NUMEROUS TORNADO WARNINGS OUT WHEN IT WAS TO THE WEST, FURTHER WEST, AND YOU CAN STILL SEE THERE ARE ONGOING TORNADO WARNINGS ALONG THIS SEGMENT OF THE LINE OF STORMS. IT REMAINS, HOWEVER, FAIRLY INTACT, AND I DO THINK A PART OF THAT WILL AT LEAST CLIP THE VIEWING AREA. SO THAT’S WHY I SAY, WHILE OVERALL I HAVE NOTICED BECAUSE OF SOME INTERACTIONS WITH STORMS AND BOUNDARIES IN INDIANA, AN OVERALL WEAKENING TREND IN THE ORGANIZATION AND LOOK OF THE LINE. BUT I DON’T WANT US TO LET OUR GUARD DOWN AS THIS COMES THROUGH TONIGHT, BECAUSE THE ENVIRONMENT IS STILL SUPPORTIVE OF SEVERE WEATHER, EVEN IF WE’VE SEEN A LITTLE BIT OF WEAKENING MOMENTARILY IN THE LINE. SO MIKE AND SHEREE, WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WATCH ALL OF THIS AS IT MOVES OUR WAY. MORE THAN LIKELY, IT WILL BE AFTER THE 11:00 NEWSCAST. SO WE ARE OFF AT 1130. THIS WILL BE IT LOOKS LIKE NOW KIND OF A MIDNIGHT TO 2 A.M. TYPE DEAL FOR US. AND THAT’S THE REASON WHY THE TORNADO WATCH IS OUT UNTIL 4 A.M. FOR THE TRI-STATE. OF COURSE, WE’LL BE HERE TO KEEP YOU UP TO DATE. OBVIOUSLY, THROU
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.11 p.m. – The Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been extended until 11:45 p.m. for Union and Fayette counties in Indiana.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.
11 p.m. – The Severe Thunderstorm Warning has been extended until 11:45 p.m. for Union and Fayette counties in Indiana.
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.
