Ohio starts Wednesday under a Dense Fog Advisory that covers much of the state until 10 a.m., with visibility of one-quarter mile or less in dense fog, according to the National Weather Service. Once the fog lifts, high pressure takes over and the day turns sunny and dry statewide, with light winds and near-normal temperatures. No rain is expected anywhere in Ohio today, and the weather service offices in Cleveland, Wilmington and Northern Indiana all point to a quiet, bright afternoon after the hazardous morning commute.
In Northwest Ohio, the advisory covers Allen, Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert and Williams counties, along with Crawford, Hancock, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca, Wood and Wyandot counties, until 10 a.m. The weather service warns that low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous, and urges drivers to slow down, use headlights and leave plenty of distance ahead. After the fog clears, Toledo turns partly cloudy to sunny with a high near 67 and light, variable winds.
Northeast Ohio starts with patchy frost in places such as the Canton area, then turns sunny with a high in the mid-60s and light winds of about 5 to 10 mph. Central Ohio is also in the advisory in Marion County, and west-central counties including Union, Auglaize, Hardin, Logan, Mercer and Shelby are under a Dense Fog Advisory until 10 a.m. as well. Columbus then turns sunny and warm, reaching about 71 degrees with light north-northwest winds.
Southwest and Southeast Ohio share the same fog-to-sunshine pattern. Wilmington, Cincinnati and Dayton turn sunny with highs near 70 to 71 and light winds, while southeastern Ohio also dries out under sunshine with highs in the upper 60s to low 70s. High pressure keeps the pattern warm and dry, with excellent drying in farm fields and easy travel once the fog is gone.
Tonight will be clear and chilly again across the state. Lows will fall into the upper 30s in Northeast Ohio around Canton, near 40 in Toledo and Columbus, and into the low 40s in southwest Ohio. Clear skies and light winds mean sheltered and outlying areas could again see patchy frost late tonight and early Thursday, so residents should protect tender plants that are still outdoors.
Thursday keeps the quiet run going. The forecast is sunny statewide, with highs in the mid-60s in Northeast Ohio, near 69 in Toledo, and around 70 in Columbus and near 69 in Wilmington. Thursday night stays mostly clear, with lows in the lower 40s in the northeast and central Ohio and the low to mid-40s farther south, and still no rain in the forecast.
The extended outlook stays sunny and dry through the weekend and into Monday. Friday through Sunday will be mostly sunny statewide, with highs in the lower to mid-60s in Northeast Ohio and in the upper 60s to low 70s in central and southern Ohio, and nighttime lows mostly in the upper 30s to low 40s. Forecasters expect clouds to start building next Tuesday as a front sags through the Great Lakes, with a chance of very light showers Tuesday night into Wednesday of next week — the first real break in an otherwise calm, dry stretch.
Photo: Mark Spearman, CC BY