Ohio heads into a clear, chilly and dry Tuesday night after a sunny day in the 60s, according to the National Weather Service, with no watches, warnings or advisories in effect statewide on Tuesday evening and no rain expected tonight or during the day on Veterans Day. Skies stay mostly clear this evening, with only some increasing clouds later tonight in northern Ohio, and light winds generally around 5 mph or less.
In northwest Ohio, the National Weather Service in Cleveland called for partly cloudy skies tonight around Toledo with a low near 38 degrees on light west winds. Northeast Ohio is mostly clear tonight as well, with lows near 41 degrees in Cleveland, about 36 degrees in Akron and about 34 degrees in Youngstown — the coldest reading in the state — so anyone heading out this evening will want a jacket after the mild afternoon.
Central Ohio also turns mostly clear tonight, with a low near 41 degrees in Columbus on northwest winds of 0 to 3 mph, according to the National Weather Service. Southwest Ohio follows the same pattern, with lows near 41 degrees in Dayton and about 43 degrees in Cincinnati, while southeast Ohio around Athens also falls to about 41 degrees under mostly clear skies and very light winds.
Veterans Day on Wednesday, November 11, is mostly cloudy in northern and central Ohio and partly to mostly sunny farther south, and the day itself stays dry in most places, according to the National Weather Service. Highs reach about 55 degrees in Toledo, 58 degrees in Cleveland, 59 degrees in Akron and Youngstown, 61 degrees in Columbus, 63 degrees in Dayton, 64 degrees in Athens and 66 degrees in Cincinnati, with only a slight chance of a shower late in the day near Toledo, Cleveland and Akron — workable weather for ceremonies and outdoor observances, with clouds as the main change.
The next change arrives Wednesday night, when rain showers spread across Ohio. The National Weather Service put the chance of rain Wednesday night at about 85 to 90 percent in Cleveland, about 80 percent in Akron, Youngstown and Athens, about 60 percent in Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati, and about 40 percent in Toledo, with lows in the lower to mid-40s. Amounts are expected to stay light, generally less than a tenth of an inch in the center and south and between a tenth and a quarter of an inch in the east and northeast.
Thursday turns colder and wetter, especially in the north and east. The National Weather Service forecasts rain likely to certain in northeast Ohio on Thursday, with highs only near 48 to 50 degrees in Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown and north winds gusting to 25 to 31 mph near Lake Erie, while central and southwest Ohio see a chance of rain with highs near 49 degrees in Columbus, 50 degrees in Dayton and 52 degrees in Cincinnati. Friday stays chilly, with highs in the low to mid-40s statewide and rain showers lingering in northeast Ohio.
For tonight, no travel precautions are needed beyond dressing for the chill, and Wednesday daytime plans should go ahead as scheduled under cloudy skies. The caution comes Wednesday evening and Thursday, when wet roads and gusty north winds return, so allow extra time for travel then. Enjoy the clear finish to Tuesday — it is the last fully dry night before the rain and colder air move in.
Photo: Andre Carrotflower, CC BY-SA