Rain showers return Friday before big weekend warm-up for Columbus area

QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:

• Tonight: Mostly clear, low 27
• Friday: Clouds increase, showers late, high 50
• Saturday: Partly sunny, slow clearing, high 56
• Sunday: Mostly sunny, high 68
• Monday: Partly cloudy, high 71

FORECAST DISCUSSION:

Good Thursday Evening,

It has been a much cooler, but quieter day today with mainly sunny skies and temps a few degrees below normal for this time of the year. This will close out "meteorological winter" (Dec-Feb) as the warmest in Columbus since 1948 (when the measurements were taken at John Glenn Airport). This winter would just barely nudge out last year for that title.

Tonight, expect mostly clear skies, light to no wind, and low humidity, allow temps to fall to the mid to upper 20s tonight. Friday will start off with mostly clear skies early, but clouds will fill in quickly through the morning as a weather maker will clip our area from the south. This will provide us a few showers late in the day, with better chances Friday night with highs around 50.

Saturday will start with showers moving east early in the morning and skies gradually clearing through the day with highs in the mid to upper 50s. Much warmer weather will return for the 2nd half of the weekend and sunshine takes over and temps surge into the upper 60s.

Numbers will continue to climb on Monday for our warmest day of the year, with highs in the 70s for the first time in 2024, lower 70s with partly cloudy skies. Rain showers should hold off til overnight into Tuesday. Tuesday expect on and off rain showers, mild temps in the lower 60s. Showers will be more scattered as the cold front moves through for Wednesday with highs in the middle 50s.

Clouds will linger into Thursday with mostly cloudy skies, but highs still above normal in the middle 50s.

-Dave