Columbus woke up early Thursday to a warm, soupy start: about 75°F at John Glenn Columbus International Airport around 5:35 a.m., with a dew point near 68°F making the air feel every bit as muggy as it sounds. Temperatures will climb to around 91°F under mostly sunny skies, with a light southwest breeze this afternoon. Most of the daytime hours should stay dry, but a more organized batch of showers and thunderstorms is on deck late tonight and could spill into the early-Friday commute.
Late Night Storms, Heaviest South of I-70
Showers and thunderstorms are likely around and after midnight into the early hours of Friday. The National Weather Service puts overnight rain chances near 60–70% and notes that some cells could produce heavier downpours. Forecasters also flag the potential for locally heavier totals and brief street flooding south of I-70, according to the National Weather Service. Expect the most active window roughly between 11 p.m. Thursday and 5 a.m. Friday, so late-night travel could be a soggy affair, and checking for updates before heading out would be smart.
Friday Commute And Weekend Snapshot
Showers and thunderstorms are likely to linger into the Friday morning commute, with highs near 86°F and some storms capable of dropping a quarter to a half inch of rain where the heavier cells track, according to the National Weather Service. Another low-pressure system is expected to move into the Ohio Valley on Saturday into Saturday night, potentially focusing the heaviest rain across southeast Indiana, northern Kentucky, and southern Ohio counties along the Ohio River. Once that system moves on, forecasters look for a drier, warmer stretch into early next week, with highs returning to the upper 80s and lower 90s. For more on how this pattern has been building, see our steamy Columbus morning breakdown.
What To Watch
If you are out late Thursday or early Friday, bring a rain plan: pack an umbrella or a quick-dry layer in case storms flare up overhead. Take it easy on wet roads and avoid driving through standing water, since brief street flooding is on the table, especially south of I-70. Local alerts and forecast updates will come from the National Weather Service and county emergency services if conditions start to go downhill. If you have outdoor plans Saturday night, keep a flexible backup ready, because another round of showers and storms may try to crash the party.
