COLUMBUS — Ohio gardeners and farmers should enjoy the warm spell while it lasts: the first frost threat of the season could arrive in central and northern Ohio by Oct. 9 and 10. The near-term forecast starts wet. Moisture from the remnants of Hurricane Polo is streaming out of the central plains and across the Corn Belt. Northern Ohio could see a few showers as early as this evening, with the best rain potential coming overnight Thursday through Friday and into early Saturday. Forecasters expect a quarter-inch to an inch and a half of rain across nearly the entire state. Behind that system, a dry pattern takes hold for the balance of the weekend and much of next week, with no meaningful rain expected through Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The bigger story arrives late next week. A cold front sweeping through the Great Lakes around Thursday, Oct. 8 will usher in much colder air. Forecasters say Friday, Oct. 9 and Saturday, Oct. 10 look quite chilly, and central and northern parts of Ohio may have to watch for frost potential. Anyone with tender plants, late-season gardens, or sensitive crops should start thinking about protection plans now. Covering plants or harvesting remaining produce before the cold snap hits could save a season’s final bounty. The next well-organized threat of rain and thunderstorms after that looks to hold off until around Oct. 14.
For now, temperatures stay warm — highs near 80 are possible Thursday before the rains arrive. But autumn is about to make its presence felt across the Buckeye State.