Ohio’s mild Veterans Day is turning into a wet night, with sunshine and temperatures in the mid-60s across central and southern Ohio this afternoon giving way to rain statewide tonight, according to the National Weather Service. No watches, warnings or advisories were in effect for Ohio early Wednesday afternoon, but the National Weather Service offices in Cleveland and Wilmington both put the chance of rain tonight at 90 percent or higher in many areas, followed by noticeably colder and gustier weather on Thursday.
In northwest and northeast Ohio, this afternoon stays mostly cloudy with near-steady temperatures in the mid-50s and light east winds around 5 mph, the National Weather Service in Cleveland said. Toledo reached the mid-50s for its high, and Cleveland, Akron and Youngstown were in the upper 50s. Showers arrive in the north mainly this evening, with lows in the lower 40s in the northwest and upper 30s farther east, and north winds picking up to 10 to 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph overnight.
Central Ohio has had the sunniest part of the day, with Columbus sunny and 65 degrees early this afternoon and a high near 66 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington. The dry weather does not last: clouds increase this evening, a chance of rain develops, and rain is expected after midnight with lows in the mid-40s and a 90 percent chance of precipitation. Southwest Ohio is similar, with Wilmington and Cincinnati in the mid-60s this afternoon on southwest winds of 10 to 12 mph gusting near 19 mph, then rain this evening — by 9 p.m. in the Cincinnati area — with lows in the mid-40s.
Southeast Ohio, including Athens, Marietta and Portsmouth, shares the mild afternoon before showers move in tonight. Lows tonight fall into the mid-40s across the southern half of the state. Drivers heading home this evening or traveling late tonight should expect wet roads, especially in southwest Ohio where the rain arrives earliest, and anyone with outdoor plans this evening in the north should be ready for showers to develop after sunset.
Thursday brings the change. The National Weather Service expects mostly cloudy skies statewide, with rain likely mainly in the morning in central and southern Ohio and a chance of showers continuing in the north. Temperatures hold near steady in the upper 40s in many areas, with highs only in the upper 40s to low 50s — a drop of roughly 15 degrees from Wednesday in Columbus and Cincinnati. Northwest winds of 5 to 15 mph will gust up to 20 to 25 mph, making it feel colder still.
The colder air deepens Friday, with highs in the lower 40s statewide, a chance of rain and even a chance of snow mixing in Friday afternoon in parts of central Ohio, and lows around 30 degrees Friday night. The weekend then turns partly cloudy and cold, with highs in the mid-40s Saturday and Sunday and lows in the upper 20s, before a slow warm-up early next week takes highs back toward the upper 40s Monday and around 50 degrees Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.