COLUMBUS — Ohioans are in for a pleasant stretch to close out September. After a sunny Sunday with highs around 70 to 75 degrees statewide, forecasters expect dry conditions and sunshine to hold through Tuesday before a late-summer-style warmup pushes temperatures into the 80s midweek.
Monday and Tuesday will bring mostly sunny skies with highs in the mid-70s, according to the National Weather Service. Columbus will reach near 75 on Monday and 77 on Tuesday; northeast Ohio will run a few degrees cooler, with highs near 68 to 70, while southern Ohio trends a bit warmer.
Wednesday turns warmer still, with highs around 82 in central Ohio and sunshine giving way to partly cloudy skies. By Thursday, forecasters expect the warmest day of the stretch, with highs near 86 in Columbus and in the low-to-mid 80s across much of the state — more reminiscent of August than late September.
The dry pattern breaks late in the week. A chance of showers arrives Thursday at about 40%, with the best rain chance Friday at around 50%, when highs settle back to the low-to-mid 70s. Rainfall amounts look modest, but the showers could dampen Friday evening plans across the state.
For now, the message for the workweek is simple: enjoy the sunshine and the unusual warmth, but keep an umbrella handy for Friday. Lows will remain comfortable, mostly in the 50s to low 60s, before trending cooler behind the weekend front.