Ohio Weather March 4 Midday - 39° Above Normal

Good afternoon. Ohio. I'm Aaron Jolly. That quarter-inch of rain overnight was just the opening act. A warm front is lifting north. And it's created a dramatic temperature divide this afternoon. Down in Southwest Ohio, you're sitting at 65 degrees with thunderstorms rumbling through. Central Ohio sits at 57 degrees with rain showers. Head up to Cleveland and Akron. And you're looking at 49 degrees under mostly cloudy skies. In the next 24 hours. Here's the story tonight. That front keeps lifting north. And the rain ramps up significantly. Central Ohio could see one to two inches of rain by Thursday morning. That's prompted a Flood Watch for the Columbus area through Thursday afternoon. Northeast Ohio gets in on the action after 9 P.M., with rain continuing through Thursday. Thursday brings more rain statewide and the beginning of a remarkable warm-up. By Friday. Southwest Ohio could hit 78 degrees. That's near record territory for early March — about 39 degrees above normal. Central Ohio reaches 75 degrees. Even Northeast Ohio climbs to 65. Saturday brings another round of showers and thunderstorms, followed by a cold front that drops temperatures back into the 50s and 60s for Sunday. Monday looks sunny and pleasant before another system arrives midweek. In Two things to watch, flooding potential tonight into Thursday. And that near-record warmth Friday. The spring equinox is just two weeks away, but Friday will feel like it's already arrived. For the extended outlook, check the latest forecast as confidence improves. That's your forecast — we'll be back tomorrow.