Ohio’s gray Sunday is holding into the afternoon, with clouds covering the state, temperatures stuck in the 40s in most places and the last of the day’s rain ending in the northeast, according to the National Weather Service. Cleveland was cloudy at about 45 degrees early this afternoon, Columbus and Dayton were cloudy in the low to middle 40s, Toledo was cloudy near 42, and Cincinnati was the warm spot, mostly cloudy near 50. No watches, warnings or advisories are in effect for Ohio this afternoon, and northwest winds of 5 to 12 mph keep it feeling a few degrees colder than the thermometer reads.
The northeast is where the afternoon action ends. The National Weather Service gives Cleveland a slight chance of rain showers before 5 p.m., with a 20 percent chance of precipitation and a high near 47, and Youngstown had a slight chance of showers early this afternoon with a high near 48. Once those showers taper off, the rest of the evening stays dry statewide, though wet pavement may linger on Interstate 90 and lakeshore roads into the early evening commute home from weekend events.
Northwest and central Ohio spend the rest of today dry under the clouds. Toledo stays mostly cloudy with a high near 46 and only a 1 percent rain chance, while Columbus stays mostly cloudy near 48, also essentially dry, according to the National Weather Service. Athens and southeast Ohio are mostly cloudy near 46 this afternoon, with no new precipitation expected after this morning’s flurries moved out.
Southwest Ohio gets the mildest afternoon in the state. Cincinnati is partly sunny with a high near 51 and no rain expected, and Dayton stays mostly cloudy near 50, dry with a light north wind, according to the National Weather Service. It is not a warm afternoon anywhere in Ohio, but the southwest is the one corner where breaks in the clouds have let temperatures climb to about 50 or just above.
Tonight stays cloudy to mostly cloudy and cold, with lows falling to about 32 in Toledo, 34 in Dayton and Athens, 35 in Columbus and Cincinnati, 37 in Youngstown and 38 in Cleveland, according to the National Weather Service. Toledo turns partly cloudy overnight, while most other areas keep considerable cloud cover and winds ease to light and variable. In the Cincinnati area, patchy fog is possible after 2 a.m., so early Monday drivers in southwest Ohio should be ready for reduced visibility in low spots.
Monday is the bright turn Ohio has been waiting for. The National Weather Service calls for sunny skies in Toledo near 51 and in Athens near 52, mostly sunny skies in Cleveland near 51, Columbus near 52, Dayton near 54 and Cincinnati near 55 after patchy morning fog, and partly sunny skies in Youngstown near 50. Monday night turns partly cloudy to mostly clear with lows in the upper 20s to middle 30s, and patchy fog is possible again after midnight around Columbus, Dayton and Cincinnati.
The extended outlook keeps the warm-up going all week. Tuesday is sunny statewide with highs from about 53 in Toledo to 57 in Cincinnati and Dayton, Wednesday stays sunny in the upper 50s to near 60, and Thursday turns partly cloudy in the low to middle 60s, according to the National Weather Service. Friday and Saturday reach the middle 60s in much of Ohio, a full season warmer than this gray Sunday — get through one more cold, cloudy night, and a brighter, milder week takes over.