Ohio starts Thursday, November 12, under a cold, wet and windy pattern, with rain and showers covering most of the state and colder air moving in behind them, according to the National Weather Service. No tornado warnings or land-based severe warnings were in effect early Thursday, but north winds of 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 to 30 mph will make highs in the upper 40s and lower 50s feel colder, and periods of rain will keep roads wet for both commutes.
In the Northwest, Defiance, Findlay, Lima and Toledo all see showers with highs only in the upper 40s. In the Northeast, Akron-Canton, Cleveland and Youngstown also see showers, with highs of 49 to 50 degrees and a 90 percent chance of rain in places, with amounts generally less than a tenth of an inch. A Small Craft Advisory is in effect for Lake Erie through Friday morning, with north winds of 15 to 25 knots and waves of 6 to 9 feet hazardous to small craft.
Central Ohio sees steady rain at Columbus, where the high reaches about 52 degrees. The Miami Valley and the Southwest are mostly cloudy with scattered rain, with highs near 51 at Dayton, 52 at Wilmington and 54 at Cincinnati. Even there, gusty north winds keep it feeling raw, and the Weather Service in Wilmington noted cooler temperatures will continue through the end of the week.
The Southeast and south-central Ohio see rain as well. Athens and Jackson reach about 52 degrees, Marietta about 50 and Portsmouth about 56, the warmest high on the tabular forecast issued early Thursday by the Weather Service in Wilmington. Rain is likely at Marietta and Athens mainly in the morning, with a 60 percent chance overall, and east-central communities including Zanesville and New Philadelphia see showers with highs near 51.
Tonight, rain continues or returns in many areas, mainly during the evening, with chances reaching 90 percent in west-central Ohio. Lows fall into the middle 30s across much of central, western and southeastern Ohio, and the upper 30s around Cincinnati. Skies stay mostly cloudy with a north wind of 10 to 15 mph and gusts up to 25 mph, so anyone out Thursday night should expect a cold rain.
Friday turns colder statewide under mostly cloudy skies, with highs from about 41 to 44 in northern and central Ohio and 45 to 46 in the south. Snow showers are possible in parts of the northeast and along Lake Erie Friday and into Saturday as colder air deepens. Friday night lows drop into the upper 20s inland, before Saturday turns mostly sunny to partly cloudy with highs in the lower to middle 40s, and Sunday stays partly cloudy in the middle to upper 40s.
The week ahead gradually moderates under drier skies: Monday is partly cloudy in the upper 40s, Tuesday turns sunny around 50 to 52, and Wednesday is sunny with highs in the middle 50s in the south. Until then, drivers should allow extra time on wet roads Thursday and dress for wind as much as temperature, and boaters on Lake Erie should stay off the water while the Small Craft Advisory remains in effect.
Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY