Ohio heads into Friday night dry and cooling fast, with high pressure in control and no hazardous weather expected anywhere in the state, according to the National Weather Service. Columbus was clear at 65 degrees late this afternoon with a north wind at 5 mph, and sunset came at 6:31 p.m. there. The National Weather Service offices in Cleveland and Wilmington both said no hazardous weather is expected today or tonight in their hazardous weather outlooks, and there were no watches, warnings or advisories in effect for Ohio. Clouds will increase tonight, but rain chances stay at or near zero in every region.
In northwest Ohio, tonight turns partly cloudy with lows in the mid-40s, including around Kenton and Ada, where the National Weather Service in Wilmington forecast a low near 44 after a high near 65 today. Toledo, Findlay, Defiance and Lima follow the same pattern, with light north winds turning east overnight. Northeast Ohio is the coldest corner tonight, with partly cloudy skies and lows in the upper 30s in inland areas such as Thompson, according to the National Weather Service, while Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown cool into the 40s. Waves on Lake Erie are expected at 1 meter or less tonight.
Central Ohio settles into a partly cloudy night with a low near 47 in Columbus and light northeast winds, after a sunny day that topped out in the mid-60s. Temperatures there slide through the 50s during the evening, so jackets are a good idea for anyone out late. Southwest Ohio stays a touch milder, with Cincinnati and Wilmington expecting mostly cloudy skies and lows in the mid- to upper 40s — Wilmington near 46 and Cincinnati near 49, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington — under light northeast to east winds.
Southeast Ohio around Athens, Marietta and Portsmouth shares the dry, cooling night, with partly to mostly cloudy skies and lows in the 40s. For Friday night playoff football statewide, the forecast is straightforward: no rain, no storms and no weather delays expected, just a steady chill from kickoff into the 60s in the south and the upper 50s to low 60s in the north down through the 40s and 50s by the final whistle. The patchy dense fog that slowed parts of west central Ohio this morning has lifted, and no fog advisory is in effect for tonight.
Halloween on Saturday is mostly cloudy but stays dry for trick-or-treaters across Ohio. The National Weather Service forecasts highs from 65 to 70 degrees statewide — near 66 in Columbus, near 69 in Cincinnati and in the mid-60s in northern Ohio — with east winds of 3 to 8 mph and rain chances near zero during the day and evening. Saturday night remains cloudy, with lows in the low to mid-50s, including near 53 in Columbus and near 52 to 55 around Cincinnati, so costumes will not need rain gear, though a layer underneath will help after dark.
The pattern begins to change on Sunday, when clouds thicken and a chance of rain returns. The National Weather Service in Wilmington puts the chance at 40 percent around Cincinnati, mainly after 2 p.m., with a high near 68 and amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible if showers arrive. Columbus expects a cloudy Sunday with a high near 70 and a 20 percent chance of rain, and Sunday night stays mostly cloudy statewide with lows in the mid-50s. Clocks also fall back early Sunday, giving Ohio an extra hour overnight.
Looking ahead, next week turns milder before it turns wetter. Monday is mostly cloudy with highs in the upper 60s, Tuesday warms to near 75 in central and southern Ohio with mostly cloudy skies, and rain becomes likely by Wednesday, with a 60 percent chance around Cincinnati and showers spreading across the state. For tonight and Halloween, though, there are no travel concerns — just increasing clouds, cool temperatures and a dry start to the weekend.