Columbus is starting Tuesday, March 24, in full refrigerator mode, with clear skies and a crisp 28°F reading at John Glenn Columbus International Airport. It will not stay chilly for long. Expect sunshine and a high near 51°F with light southeast breezes today, before a much stronger pattern cranks things up later in the week. By Thursday, highs soar into the 70s ahead of a cold front that is expected to fire up likely thunderstorms overnight.
Today Into Wednesday
Sunny, quiet weather holds through Wednesday, with afternoon highs climbing into the mid-60s and generally light south winds. Tonight will be mostly cloudy, with a low near 37°F. Rain chances stay small until late in the week, so today and Wednesday are your best bets for outdoor plans before things get noisy.
Thursday Warmup And Overnight Storms
The National Weather Service in Wilmington expects a sharp warmup on Thursday, with afternoon temperatures jumping into the mid-70s. Southwest winds should run 6 to 15 mph, with gusts up to about 26 mph. A cold front is forecast to sweep through Thursday evening and spark showers and thunderstorms overnight, and forecasters note the timing has nudged a bit later into the night. New rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches are possible, and the NWS cautions that "some form of severe weather is likely" with this system.
Timing And Impacts
The main window for the heavier storms is late Thursday night into early Friday morning (March 26 to 27). Showers should taper Friday morning, although the commute could still be on the soggy side. Behind the front, temperatures tumble, with highs only in the mid-40s on Friday and a cold Friday night low near 26°F. Gusty winds and localized ponding on roads are the primary issues to watch for, so plan for a slower drive and avoid rolling through standing water.
Plan Ahead
If you have outdoor plans Thursday evening, it is worth shifting them indoors or moving them earlier. Secure loose outdoor items, top off your device batteries, and keep an eye on local alerts, including the latest watches and warnings on the NWS page above. For a deeper look at how this pattern has been building over Columbus, check out our earlier coverage on the balmy Saturday setup for storms.
