Ohio is spending its Sunday under a solid deck of clouds, with temperatures stuck in the 40s late this morning and light rain still falling in the northeast, according to the National Weather Service. Columbus was cloudy at 43 degrees late this morning and Cleveland was cloudy at 45, and highs today reach only about 47 in Cleveland and Toledo, 48 in Columbus and Zanesville, and 51 in Cincinnati, the warmest spot in the state. No watches, warnings or advisories are in effect for Ohio as of late morning, and northwest winds of 5 to 10 mph add a bite to the gray afternoon.
The northeast remains the wet corner for the rest of today. The National Weather Service calls for light rain likely around Cleveland, with a 58 percent chance of precipitation and a high near 47, and a slight chance of light rain lingers into tonight before skies turn cloudy and lows settle near 38. Wet pavement is the main travel concern on Interstate 90 and across the lakeshore counties this afternoon, with no flooding or severe weather expected.
The rest of northern and central Ohio stays dry under the clouds. Toledo turns partly sunny with a high near 47 and only a 3 percent rain chance, while Columbus stays mostly cloudy near 48 with a rain chance of just 1 percent, according to the National Weather Service. Zanesville and east-central Ohio are mostly cloudy near 48, also dry, as the morning system that brought flurries to the southeast earlier today moves away.
Southwest Ohio gets the best of a gray day. Cincinnati is partly sunny with a high near 51, and Dayton stays mostly cloudy in the upper 40s, both dry with light north to northwest winds. The southeast, including Athens and the Marietta area, stays mostly cloudy in the upper 40s to near 50 after this morning’s flurries, with no additional precipitation expected for the rest of today.
Tonight stays cloudy to mostly cloudy and cold statewide. Lows fall to about 30 in Zanesville, 32 in Toledo and Cincinnati, 33 in Columbus and 38 in Cleveland, according to the National Weather Service. Drivers out late should watch for damp spots on untreated roads, but no refreeze or icing problems are forecast, and winds ease to light and variable overnight.
Monday starts the turn toward brighter, milder weather. Skies become mostly sunny in Columbus, Cincinnati, Toledo and Zanesville, with highs of about 50 in Toledo, 51 in Columbus, 52 in Zanesville and 54 in Cincinnati, while Cleveland stays mostly cloudy near 50. Monday night turns mostly clear with lows in the upper 20s to lower 30s, so a frosty start is likely for the Tuesday morning commute.
The extended outlook is the payoff for a gray Sunday. Tuesday is sunny statewide with highs in the middle to upper 50s — about 53 in Cleveland and Toledo, 54 in Columbus and 58 in Cincinnati — and Wednesday stays sunny near 58 to 59. Thursday turns mostly sunny at 60 to 62, Friday is mostly sunny at 60 to 63, and Saturday reaches the middle 60s, about 64 in Cleveland and 66 in Columbus, according to the National Weather Service.
Photo: Tim Kiser, CC BY-SA