Ohio’s sunny Sunday is holding through the afternoon, and the rest of the day splits the state in two. Most of Ohio stays sunny and dry into the evening, with highs in the mid to upper 50s — near 57 in Columbus and Cleveland, 59 in Cincinnati and around 61 in Athens, the warm spot in the state. The catch, especially in the north, is the wind: a gusty west wind is making the sunshine feel cooler than the thermometer reads, according to the National Weather Service.
Northwest Ohio has the strongest gusts this afternoon. Toledo stays sunny with highs in the mid-50s, but west winds of 15 to 20 mph will gust as high as 30 mph, and Bowling Green, Perrysburg, Port Clinton and Fremont could see gusts to 35 mph, the National Weather Service in Cleveland said. On Lake Erie, those winds keep conditions rough for boaters, with a Small Craft Advisory in effect into Monday afternoon. Secure loose outdoor items this afternoon — the gusts ease only slowly after sunset, and Toledo could still see gusts to 30 mph this evening.
The northeast is also where tonight’s pattern breaks first. Cleveland turns to increasing clouds overnight with a low around 45 and northwest winds still gusting as high as 31 mph, as a weak cold front brushes by to the northeast, according to the National Weather Service. That front could bring a few scattered rain showers to far northeast Ohio late tonight into early Monday, while the rest of the state stays dry.
Central and southern Ohio get the calm, clear version of the night — and that is exactly why frost is the story there. Columbus turns mostly clear with a low around 40, and Cincinnati falls to near 37 under clear skies. As the wind fades, temperatures in the advisory area drop as low as 35 degrees, low enough for frost to form on sensitive vegetation, the National Weather Service said.
The National Weather Service in Wilmington has a Frost Advisory in effect from 1 a.m. to 9 a.m. Monday for central, south-central and southwest Ohio — including Franklin, Pickaway, Ross, Hamilton, Clermont, Brown, Highland, Adams, Pike and Scioto counties. A separate Frost Advisory from the National Weather Service in Charleston covers Lawrence County in the southeast from midnight to 10 a.m. Monday, with lows as low as 33 degrees possible there. Cover tender plants or bring them inside tonight — uncovered plants may be killed, the Weather Service advises.
Monday starts with patchy frost across the south and center of the state, then turns sunny almost everywhere, with highs from the mid-50s in the northeast — where Cleveland stays mostly cloudy near 55 — to about 57 in Columbus, the low 60s in Cincinnati and 62 in Athens. Tuesday is the warmest day of this stretch and stays sunny statewide, reaching about 60 in Cleveland, 63 in Columbus, 66 in Cincinnati and the upper 60s in the southeast.
Veterans Day on Wednesday stays partly sunny and dry, with highs from the mid-50s along Lake Erie to around 60 in the southwest, before the pattern changes. Rain chances return Wednesday night and Thursday, and colder air follows, with highs dropping into the 40s by Friday. So enjoy what is left of this sunny, breezy afternoon — just bring the plants in tonight before the frost settles in.
Photo: James St. John, CC BY