Columbus opens 5 warming centers Sunday, but cold will exit this week. Here's what to expect

Cole Behrens, Columbus Dispatch
·1 min read
Two Columbus men, Ed Massie, left, of the South Side and Andrew Hunt of Clintonville, right, pull their canoe alongside the Olentangy Trail in Worthington on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. The two were making their way down the river from their starting point in Delaware when they hit ice near Interstate 270 and had to go the rest of the way to Whetstone Park on foot, pulling the canoe behind them.

If you're sick of the bitter cold, some relief might be on the horizon.

Here's what you need to know about the cold Sunday, which warms to freezing rain, showers and highs in the 50s during the week:

Warm weather, rain on the horizon

Sunday will be the last day of unseasonably cold weather for the immediate future, with Sunday's high temperature 15 degrees below normal at 23 degrees, according to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, Ohio.

Photos: Snow day in Columbus

Starting Monday and continuing through the week, expect temperatures to rise gradually to a predicted high of 55 degrees on Thursday, according to the NWS. Temperatures will then cool back down by the end of the week, with Saturday's high back in the 40s.

Expect rain throughout the week beginning Monday and Tuesday with chances for freezing rain, although the NWS is forecasting little to no ice accumulation in Columbus. The freezing rain will become showers and heavier rain as we move through the week, with precipitation forecast daily through Friday.

City warming stations open Sunday

Because of the lingering bitter cold Sunday, the Columbus Recreation and Parks Department has opened warming centers at five community centers to give people a place to keep warm if needed. The following community centers opened at 9 a.m. and are expected to be open until 9 p.m. on Sunday:

  • Barnett Community Center, 1184 Barnett Rd., 43227

  • Dodge Community Center, 667 Sullivant Ave., 43215

  • Linden Community Center, 1350 Briarwood Ave., 43211

  • Marion Franklin Community Center, 2801 Lockbourne Rd., 43207

  • Thompson Community Center, 1189 Dennison Ave., 43201

The department reserves the right to activate/deactivate warming center locations depending on use and need.

@Colebehr_report

Cbehrens@dispatch.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Rain, high temperatures coming to Columbus this week as cold exits