Severe storms possible Friday in Greater Akron as drought conditions spread across Ohio

The number of Ohio counties suffering under drought conditions continues to rise.

The expansion of the drought in the state comes as storms − some severe − could impact northern Ohio on Friday.

It has been a dry week in Greater Akron but that could all change Friday afternoon as the National Weather Service warns rain and some severe storms are expected.

The storms and rain are expected to develop after 2 p.m. and as much as an inch of rain could fall in some areas by the time things clear up on Saturday afternoon.

Some of the thunderstorms could have damaging wind gusts.

Fall foliage: Best place in the U.S. for fall colors? AccuWeather says right here in northern Ohio 🍂

Temperatures are expected to be cooler over the weekend and will feel more fall-like with temperatures in the 60s.

The weather service says another warming trend is setting up for next week.

Drought conditions expand across Ohio

The U.S. Drought Monitor says all but roughly 5% of Ohio is now experiencing some drought conditions.

The area spared as of now is in northern Ohio and consists of a sliver running from Ashtabula County through Lake and Geauga counties through extreme western Portage County and much of Summit County.

Southern Ohio is experiencing extreme and exceptional drought conditions.

Drought effects: Twenty-two Ohio counties declared natural disaster areas by USDA due to ongoing drought

Earlier this week, the USDA Farm Service Agency declared 22 Ohio counties natural disaster areas because of the drought making them eligible for federal assistance.

The impacted counties include: Athens, Belmont, Fairfield, Fayette, Gallia, Guernsey, Harrison, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Morgan, Muskingum, Noble, Perry, Pickaway, Pike, Ross, Vinton and Washington counties.

How did summer 2024 compare?

The arrival of Labor Day marked the unofficial end of summer.

The National Weather Service says the average summer temperature was 72.9 degrees, which was .9 degrees above normal.

The average daily high was 83.1 degrees, about .6 degrees above normal.

As for the average daily low, it was 62.7 degrees in Akron and Canton, which was 1.2 degrees higher than normal.

The warmest days of the summer were June 18 and June 21, when it reached 94 degrees.

The coldest day was June 11, when it was 45 degrees.

Although the region has flirted with drought conditions all summer, the National Weather Service says 10.63 inches of rain fell over the summer in Greater Akron − 1.55 inches above normal.

When is the first day of fall?

The first day of fall this year, also known as the autumnal equinox, is Sunday, Sept. 22.

According to the Farmer's Almanac, the exact time of the autumnal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere is 8:44 a.m.

There are technically two days that you could consider as the start of the fall season.

There's astronomical fall, which begins Sept. 22 with the autumnal equinox.

Some meteorologists also consider Sunday, Sept. 1 as the start of meteorological fall , which is based on the annual temperature cycle.

What's the forecast?

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 84. South wind around 7 mph.

Thursday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60. South wind 5 to 7 mph.

Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. High near 84. South wind 8 to 11 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm before 2 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., then a chance of showers after 5 a.m. Low around 53. Northwest wind around 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Saturday: A chance of showers before 8 a.m., then a chance of showers and thunderstorms between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 64. Northwest wind 10 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 24 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 70.

Sunday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 48.

Monday: Sunny, with a high near 78.

Monday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 52.

Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 84.

Tuesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 55.

Wednesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 85.

Check Akron weather hourly

Need to know weather conditions by the hour? Make sure to check out our weather page here .

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Severe storms possible Friday in Greater Akron as drought conditions spread across Ohio