Ohio gets a mild, dry Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, before the pattern turns wet tonight and colder for the rest of the week, according to the National Weather Service. Skies will be mostly cloudy statewide, with highs in the mid to upper 50s in the north and low to mid-60s in the south, and no watches, warnings or advisories were in effect for Ohio early Wednesday. The one early travel note is patchy fog in low-lying and river-valley areas, which the National Weather Service in Wilmington flagged as possible Wednesday morning and which was already being reported around Dayton at daybreak.
In northwest Ohio, the National Weather Service in Cleveland calls for mostly cloudy skies with highs in the mid 50s in Toledo and upper 50s in Bowling Green and Findlay, after overnight lows in the upper 30s. Northeast Ohio is similar, with mostly cloudy skies and highs in the upper 50s in Cleveland and Akron, while areas of fog before 10 a.m. are in the forecast for parts of east-central Ohio. Morning ceremonies in the north will start chilly, in the 30s and lower 40s.
Central Ohio turns mostly cloudy with a high near 60 to 61 degrees in Columbus, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. Southwest Ohio is the mildest part of the state, with highs in the low to mid-60s in Dayton and Cincinnati under increasing clouds, while southeast Ohio, including the Athens and Marietta areas, also reaches around 60 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. The day stays dry everywhere, so observances and parades should go ahead without interruption.
The change arrives tonight, when showers spread across Ohio and rain becomes likely to near certain in many areas. The National Weather Service puts the chance of rain at 90 percent in Toledo and near 100 percent in parts of northwest and northeast Ohio, including Akron, with showers likely across central, southwest and southeast Ohio as well. Lows settle in the lower to mid-40s and amounts stay light — generally less than a tenth of an inch, with a tenth to a quarter of an inch possible in parts of central and eastern Ohio. Winds turn north with gusts up to 20 to 25 mph, leaving roads wet overnight.
Thursday is colder and wetter. The National Weather Service forecasts highs only in the mid 40s across northern Ohio and the upper 40s to around 50 degrees farther south, with showers likely in the north and central parts of the state at chances of 70 to 90 percent. North winds of 10 to 15 mph will gust as high as 30 mph, and the Lake Erie marine forecast calls for waves building to 4 to 7 feet, so shoreline interests should expect rough conditions. Drivers should allow extra time on wet pavement Thursday.
Thursday night turns colder still, with lows in the lower 30s and a chance of rain showers mixing with snow showers across northern Ohio, with little or no snow accumulation expected, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland. The National Weather Service in Wilmington notes the cold may be enough for the first flakes of the season in its area too. Friday stays chilly, with highs in the lower 40s and Friday night lows in the upper 20s — a hard freeze in spots that have not had one yet.
The weekend then trends drier. The National Weather Service expects partly to mostly sunny skies on Saturday with highs in the mid 40s, partly cloudy conditions on Sunday with highs in the mid to upper 40s, and a slow warm-up back toward 50 degrees by Monday and Tuesday. For today: use the dry, mild daylight while it lasts, slow down in morning fog, keep rain gear handy tonight, and be ready for a colder, windier Ohio on Thursday and Friday.