Cincinnati, OH – Gray skies stretch across the Ohio River valley this morning, holding in cool air and damp light as the weekend begins quietly. The city wakes under a calm 48°F, but forecasters say this calm won’t last long — a shift to wetter, travel-impacting weather looms as Thanksgiving week begins.
According to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, conditions will briefly improve through Sunday with clearer skies and highs near the mid-50s. Sunday looks pleasant for last-minute shopping, yard work, or early decorating before the next rain system pushes in from the west. By Monday afternoon, clouds thicken and steady rainfall is expected to develop, continuing through Tuesday with up to an inch possible in some areas.
Drivers planning early Thanksgiving trips should expect wet highways and reduced visibility, particularly along I-75 and I-71 corridors between Cincinnati and Dayton. Travel Monday night into Tuesday could see heavier downpours as moisture surges north from the Gulf, creating ponding on roads and slick bridges.
Thanksgiving Day itself trends cooler and drier, with highs near 42°F under mostly sunny skies — a crisp, calm holiday before another potential cold front approaches late week. National outlooks continue to hint at heavier snow and colder air sweeping across the northern and central U.S. from November 25 through early December, possibly affecting post-holiday travelers heading north or west.
Five-Day Outlook (Cincinnati, OH)
- Sunday: Sunny, high 56°F
- Monday: Rain develops late, high 56°F
- Tuesday: Rain likely, high 62°F
- Wednesday: Partly sunny, high 54°F
- Thanksgiving Day: Mostly sunny, high 42°F
