Ohio starts Friday, November 13, under a thick cloud deck with a raw, late-fall feel, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, which issued its tabular state forecast at 4:04 a.m. No watches or warnings are in effect for Ohio land areas, but rain is in the forecast for much of the northern and central part of the state, highs will hold only in the 40s statewide, and north winds will make it feel colder through the day.
In northwest Ohio, the day stays mostly cloudy in Defiance, Findlay, Lima and Toledo, with daytime rain chances of 20 to 40 percent and highs of 40 to 41 degrees. North-central Ohio is wetter: Mansfield and Sandusky are both listed with rain today, a 60 percent precipitation chance, and highs of 40 in Mansfield and 43 in Sandusky, so drivers should expect wet roads and allow extra time.
Northeast Ohio sees rain in Cleveland, with a high near 43 and a 50 percent daytime precipitation chance, while Akron-Canton is partly cloudy with a high near 41 and a 40 percent chance, and Youngstown is mostly cloudy with a high near 40. On Lake Erie, the Weather Service in Cleveland has a Small Craft Advisory in effect until 1 p.m. today for nearshore waters from the Islands to Geneva-on-the-Lake, with north winds of 10 to 20 knots and waves of 3 to 6 feet — conditions hazardous to small craft.
Central Ohio has rain in Columbus today, with a high near 44 and a 50 percent daytime precipitation chance. East-central Ohio is a little milder and drier in spots: New Philadelphia and Zanesville both reach 46, with New Philadelphia partly cloudy and only a 10 percent daytime chance, while Dayton in the Miami Valley is mostly cloudy with a high near 44 and a 30 percent chance.
The southwest and southeast are the mildest corners of the state, though still cloudy. Cincinnati is cloudy with a high near 46 and a 40 percent daytime chance, Wilmington is cloudy with a high near 44, and Portsmouth reaches 48 under mostly cloudy skies. In the southeast, Athens is partly cloudy at 47, Jackson is mostly cloudy at 48, and Marietta is partly cloudy at 49, with daytime rain chances of 20 to 30 percent.
Tonight turns colder everywhere as temperatures fall into the upper 20s and 30s — 26 in Defiance, 29 in Findlay and Dayton, 30 in Columbus and Toledo, and 37 in Cleveland, where the lake keeps the shore a little warmer. Saturday then splits the state: the southwest and southeast turn partly cloudy to sunny with highs in the middle 40s, while the northeast stays unsettled, with rain in Cleveland and a rain-and-snow mix in Akron-Canton and Youngstown, with precipitation chances of 60 to 90 percent in the northeast.
The outlook improves after Saturday. Sunday is mostly cloudy in many areas with highs in the middle to upper 40s, then sunshine takes over Monday through Wednesday for most of Ohio, with highs climbing from the upper 40s and low 50s Monday and Tuesday into the middle and upper 50s Wednesday. By Thursday, partly cloudy skies return with highs near 57 in Toledo, 59 in Columbus, and 61 to 62 in Dayton, Cincinnati and the southeast — a noticeable warm-up after today’s chill. Dress warmly today, keep an umbrella handy in the north and center, and expect a colder night tonight.
Photo: Tim Sackton, CC BY