Ohio starts Tuesday, Oct. 27, clear and cool and stays mild and dry through the day, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. Its tabular state forecast, issued at 2:26 a.m. Tuesday, calls for partly cloudy skies statewide with no rain expected, and no watches, warnings or advisories were in effect for Columbus or Wilmington early Tuesday. Morning readings were in the mid-40s, including 47 degrees and clear skies in both Columbus and Wilmington, before temperatures climb well above late-October norms.
In northwest Ohio, the National Weather Service forecasts partly cloudy skies with highs near 70 in Defiance and Findlay, 71 in Lima and 64 in Toledo, where Lake Erie keeps the lakeshore cooler. North-central Ohio is similar, near 69 in Mansfield and 65 in Sandusky. In northeast Ohio, highs reach about 68 in Akron-Canton and 66 in both Cleveland and Youngstown, also under partly cloudy skies and with a zero percent chance of precipitation during the day.
Central Ohio warms to near 72 in Columbus, with partly cloudy skies, light east to southeast winds and dry conditions through the afternoon. The Miami Valley follows the same pattern, near 70 in Bellefontaine and 72 in Dayton. East-central communities including New Philadelphia and Zanesville also top out near 70, making for a comfortable day for travel, early voting trips and outdoor fall work across the middle of the state.
The warmest readings Tuesday are in the south. The National Weather Service calls for sunny to partly cloudy skies and 72 in Wilmington, 74 in Cincinnati and 74 in Portsmouth in south-central Ohio. In southeast Ohio, highs reach about 72 in Athens, 74 in Jackson and 73 in Marietta. Winds stay light statewide, generally east to southeast at around 5 to 10 mph, with no flooding, fog, wind or frost concerns in the forecast for today.
Tonight, clouds increase and skies turn mostly cloudy in many areas, with overnight lows in the upper 40s to low 50s — about 49 to 52 in northwest and central Ohio, 47 to 50 in the northeast, and the mid-40s to low 50s in the southeast. Rain chances stay at or near zero overnight, so the evening commute and nighttime travel should remain dry across all five regions.
Wednesday brings another partly cloudy and mild day, with highs from 69 to 75 — 72 in Toledo and Cleveland, 73 in Columbus, 74 in Dayton and 75 in Cincinnati and Portsmouth. Thursday looks sunnier and even warmer, with highs in the mid-70s in most places and up to 76 or 77 in Cincinnati, Lima and Portsmouth. That warm, dry stretch is good news heading into Halloween week activities.
The pattern holds through Friday and Saturday, Oct. 31, with partly to mostly cloudy skies, highs in the upper 60s to mid-70s and only a small shower chance in northern Ohio on Friday. The next real chance of rain arrives Sunday, Nov. 1, when the National Weather Service forecasts showers with a 50 to 60 percent chance and highs near 68 to 71, continuing into Monday. For today, no special safety precautions are needed beyond a jacket for the cool morning — Ohio gets a dry, mild fall Tuesday from Lake Erie to the Ohio River.