Ohio settles into a cold late Friday night with two different forecasts, according to the National Weather Service. Most of the state is clearing and turning partly cloudy overnight, with lows around freezing or below, while northeast Ohio stays cloudy and wet — including a rain and snow mix around Youngstown. The weather service had no watches, warnings or advisories in effect for Ohio late Friday night, and no severe weather is expected overnight.
In the northeast, the National Weather Service in Cleveland calls for rain likely tonight around Cleveland, with a chance of precipitation near 70 percent, a low around 39, and northwest winds of 10 to 14 mph gusting as high as 24 mph, with new rainfall of less than a tenth of an inch. Farther east, Youngstown drops to around 32 with rain and snow likely, also at about a 70 percent chance, though the weather service expects little or no snow accumulation. Drivers in the northeast should expect wet, blustery roads overnight, especially along Lake Erie and on Interstate 90, and watch for slick spots where the mix falls as temperatures hover near freezing.
The rest of Ohio clears out behind the rain. In central Ohio, Columbus turns partly cloudy tonight with a low around 31 on northwest winds of 6 to 9 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. In the northwest, Toledo also turns partly cloudy with a low around 30, with colder spots in the far northwest falling into the upper 20s. In the southwest, Cincinnati settles near 31 under partly cloudy skies, and in the southeast, Athens stays mostly cloudy with a low around 30.
Those lows at or below freezing mean frost is the main concern away from the northeast tonight. Late-season plants still outside, exposed outdoor plumbing and vehicles parked out overnight are all likely to see frost by Saturday morning, particularly in sheltered and low-lying areas. Along Lake Erie, clouds, wind and rain will keep temperatures several degrees warmer, trading frost for wet roads instead.
Saturday sharpens the split. The northeast stays wet and windy, with rain likely again around Cleveland at about a 70 percent chance, a high near 47, northwest winds around 17 mph gusting as high as 28 mph, and a tenth to a quarter of an inch of rain possible. Youngstown starts Saturday with rain and snow likely, at about an 80 percent chance, before turning to rain, with a high near 45. The rest of Ohio turns mostly to partly sunny and dry, with highs near 45 in Columbus, Toledo and Athens and 48 in Cincinnati — the brighter half of the state for Saturday plans.
Saturday night turns mostly cloudy for much of Ohio with lows in the 30s, around 36 in Columbus and Cincinnati, 33 in Toledo and 32 in Athens, while a chance of rain lingers around Cleveland with a low near 38. Sunday keeps rain likely in the northeast, with highs near 48 around Cleveland and Youngstown, while the rest of the state stays mostly cloudy to partly sunny and dry, with highs near 47 in Columbus and Toledo, 49 in Athens and 50 in Cincinnati.
The extended outlook turns quieter and warmer to start the week, according to the National Weather Service. Monday is sunny across most of Ohio, with highs near 49 around Cleveland, 50 in Toledo, 51 in Columbus, 53 in Athens and 55 in Cincinnati. Sunshine continues Tuesday and Wednesday as highs climb into the 50s statewide and reach the low 60s in the southwest, though morning lows in the upper 20s to mid-30s keep frost possible early in the week even as afternoons moderate.