2016 forecast? Rain in Michigan, Ohio

Getty Images

The forecast calls for rain on Election Day in Michigan and Ohio, two key states that Donald Trump is hoping to steal away from Democrats.

The weather forecasts predicts light rain across Michigan, but nothing severe, according to The Weather Channel’s projections.  

{mosads}In Ohio, rain showers are likely for the afternoon across the northern part of the state, particularly in Dayton and Toledo. 

Democrats haven’t lost the state of Michigan in a presidential contest since 1988. 

Ohio is a bigger swing states, and polls have shown Trump ahead. 

Montgomery County, of which Dayton is the seat, narrowly went for President Obama in 2012 while the president scored a landslide win in Toledo’s Lucas County.

The skies will be clear in most key polling places on Election Day. 

Weather reports from across the country show few instances of rain outside of Ohio and Michigan, while the vast majority of battleground states will be spared any precipitation. 

Rain that is sweeping across parts of the South isn’t likely to hit tightly contested states like Florida, Georgia or North Carolina.

Temperatures across the contiguous United States will also be comfortable. Even the northernmost points of North Dakota, Maine and Michigan will have daytime highs above 50 degrees.

Democrats are typically boosted by favorable weather come Election Day, as the party performs better when turnout is higher. Strong turnout is far more likely when the weather is temperate than when storms impede commutes or dissuade voters from waiting in long lines.

Tim Loftus, the business intelligence manager and meteorologist at AccuWeather, said that weather has been found to change voter turnout by an average of 20 percent. And he added that “Democrats are more weather-sensitive when compared to Republicans.”

 

 

Tags Donald Trump Michigan Ohio

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.