Ohio gets a classic mid-October day on Tuesday, with high pressure keeping skies sunny and conditions dry from Lake Erie to the Ohio River. The National Weather Service reported no weather alerts in effect for Columbus, Cleveland, Dayton or Toledo early Tuesday, and no rain is expected anywhere in the state. Afternoon highs will run from the mid-60s in the north to the low 70s in central and southern Ohio, with light northeast winds of about 5 to 10 mph.
In Northwest Ohio, Toledo will be sunny with a high near 68 and northeast winds around 6 mph after a clear, chilly start near 41 degrees. Northeast Ohio will be a few degrees cooler, with Cleveland near 66, Akron near 67 and Canton in the mid-60s under mostly sunny skies. Winds there will stay light from the northeast, making for a calm day along the lakeshore and inland.
Central Ohio will be among the warmest parts of the state, with Columbus sunny and reaching about 72 degrees, with light north-northeast winds. Southwest Ohio will match that warmth, with Dayton also sunny near 72 and Cincinnati in the same range under clear skies. Southeast Ohio will share the dry, sunny pattern as well, with highs in the upper 60s under light winds and no travel weather concerns.
The dry stretch is also arriving as fall color builds across the state. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources says Northeast Ohio is near peak color, and forecasters note that this run of chilly nights should help remaining leaves turn more vibrant. With sunshine all day and sunset around 6:37 to 6:49 p.m. depending on location, Tuesday offers good light for viewing color along highways, parks and river valleys.
Tonight will turn clear and cold again. Akron and Canton will drop into the upper 30s, while Columbus will fall to about 40, Toledo to the low 40s and Dayton to the low 40s. The National Weather Service office in Wilmington warned that clear skies and light winds will let outlying areas dip into the mid to upper 30s, bringing a risk of patchy frost late tonight and early Wednesday morning, and urged residents to protect tender plants.
Wednesday will start with patchy frost in parts of Northeast Ohio, including the Canton area, before skies turn sunny again. Highs on Wednesday will be in the mid-60s in the northeast, the upper 60s in Toledo, and near 71 in Columbus and Dayton. Wednesday night will stay mostly clear, with lows again in the upper 30s in the northeast and the low 40s across much of the rest of Ohio.
The extended outlook stays quiet through the weekend. Thursday through Sunday will be sunny to mostly sunny statewide, with highs in the 60s in Northeast Ohio, near the mid-60s to upper 60s in the northwest, and around 70 to the low 70s in central and southwest Ohio. Nighttime lows will remain in the upper 30s to low 40s, no rain is expected through Sunday in the Akron and Canton forecasts, and travel should stay easy — just keep a jacket handy for the cold mornings and cover sensitive plants on frosty nights.