Warm weather spell could continue in Northern Ohio all next week

Thermometers across North Central Ohio will jump 60 degrees this weekend from last.

Temperatures are expected to climb above 50 degrees Friday, a week after they had dropped to minus-10, according to Brian Mitchell, a meteorologist who works in the Cleveland office of the National Weather Service.

"We're getting a warmer flow of air coming in," Mitchell said.

The terror that was Winter Storm Elliott — at least 50 people died nationwide — had finally blown out of Richland, Wayne, Ashland, Crawford and Holmes counties by Tuesday evening, allowing the air to return to a seasonable 27 degrees.

"That has exited the area pretty good," Mitchell said.

By Thursday morning, warm breezes were raising the temperature into the 50s.

'A good break for folks'

"We'll have a warm front later Thursday into Thursday night lift across the region," Mitchell said.

Throughout midweek, temperatures jumped roughly 10 degrees each day, to the upper 30s Wednesday and lower 50s Thursday.

"It's not as common to get a big swing like that," Mitchell said. "Sometimes the cold can sit for a while. So it’s not common but it’s not unheard of to get these transitions."

"It will be a good break for folks," Mitchell said.

Warm and rainy all weekend

Residents will know the warm front has arrived when they feel a 30-mph breeze blow from the southwest.

"It will be a warmer wind but a gusty wind," Mitchell said.

A rain storm will settle in Friday morning. The high will be 50.

"Off and on rain through the weekend," Mitchell said. "That should move out later on Sunday."

Nobody should see heavy rains during the warm spell.

"Some places could see an inch or so, but that will be scattered out over mainly three days," Mitchell said. "Enough, but not too much for this time of year."

Once the rains begin, Ohioans can take heart the hard part of winter will be gone for a while.

"From that point on through the weekend we could keep the thermometer above freezing for most areas," Mitchell said. "Any leftover snow or ice, we should get rid of that."

Warm could continue through next week

The highs will stay in the 50s at least Saturday, Sunday and Monday, and could even jump to 60 by Jan. 3.

New Year's Day, Sunday, is forecast to be mostly cloudy and 50 with a chance of showers.

The highs for Jan. 4 and 5 could be 50 and 40, respectively.

Those predictions are nearly a week away, and could change.

"You could see a shot of colder air come down from the northwest," Mitchell said. "But there's not a definite indication of that right away."

ztuggle@gannett.com

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Warm weather spell could continue in Northern Ohio all next week