Ohio starts Monday, October 26, under quiet, dry weather with no watches, warnings or advisories in effect statewide, according to the National Weather Service. Early-morning temperatures ranged from 39 degrees at Wooster to 52 degrees along the Lake Erie shore at Cleveland, with fair skies reported across most of the state at 5 a.m. Areas of fog were noted in southwest Ohio around Hamilton and Cincinnati and near Columbus, so early commuters there should allow extra time until the fog lifts after sunrise.
The full day ahead is a mostly sunny one statewide. High pressure keeps rain chances near zero, and light southwest to west winds will help temperatures climb well above the chilly morning start. It is a good day for fall travel, outdoor work and leaf-peeping across Ohio, with no flooding, wind or storm impacts expected.
In northwest Ohio, Toledo will be mostly sunny with a high near 70, after a morning low around 46. In northeast Ohio, Cleveland will be sunny with a high near 67, the coolest of the major metros because of the lake influence, while Akron, Youngstown and Mansfield climb into the upper 60s under fair skies.
Central Ohio will be mostly sunny in Columbus with a high near 73. Southwest Ohio has the warmest forecast after the morning fog clears: Cincinnati and Dayton will be mostly sunny, with Cincinnati reaching near 75 and Dayton near 73. In southeast Ohio, Athens will be sunny with a high near 71, after a crisp morning low near 41 in the hill country.
Tonight will be partly to mostly cloudy statewide, with lows from about 44 in southeast Ohio to near 48 to 50 in central and northern Ohio. Patchy fog is possible again late tonight in southwest and southeast Ohio, especially in river valleys and low-lying areas.
Tuesday looks much like Monday: mostly sunny skies and highs from the mid-60s in the northeast to the low to mid-70s in central and southwest Ohio, with morning patchy fog in the south. The dry pattern holds through the week, with partly sunny skies Wednesday and highs in the low 70s, then sunny and warmer Thursday with highs in the mid-70s.
The extended outlook stays dry Friday and most of Saturday, with highs in the low to mid-70s. The National Weather Service shows the next chance of rain arriving Saturday night and becoming likely on Sunday in central Ohio, so Halloween weekend plans should keep an eye on later editions for updated timing. For today, the only safety note is the early fog in the southwest and near Columbus — slow down, use low beams and leave extra following distance until visibility improves.
Photo: David Ohmer, CC BY