CLEVELAND, Ohio — Thursday brings another cloudy but calm day across Northeast Ohio before scattered showers move in Friday and a colder pattern takes shape next week.

Much of the region will stay mostly dry under a thick blanket of clouds, with temperatures remaining close to mid-November normals. Highs will reach the upper 40s to lower 50s, and winds will stay light through Thursday night.

Mostly cloudy conditions will stick around Thursday night as a weak front passes to the north. A stray shower can’t be entirely ruled out late, but most areas will stay dry. Overnight lows will fall into the upper 30s to low 40s.

Friday features a higher chance of showers as a low pressure system tracks out of the Mississippi Valley and lifts toward the Ohio River Valley. Moisture will arrive from the southwest, bringing scattered rain later in the day and into Friday night.

While showers could reach as far north as the lakeshore, the bulk of the rain will stay south of Cleveland toward Akron, Canton and Youngstown.

Temperatures Friday will hover near normal in the low to mid 50s, with minimal wind.

Drying out for the weekend

Showers will clear early Saturday as the system departs, allowing skies to gradually brighten through the afternoon. Cooler air moves in behind it, keeping highs in the upper 40s on Saturday.

Sunday looks to be the best outdoor day of the weekend. High pressure will build in, bringing sunshine and slightly milder temperatures in the low to mid 50s. Any remaining wet leaves from Friday’s rain should dry out, making Sunday a good window for late-season yard work or leaf cleanup.

Early-week rain could brush up against Thanksgiving travel plans

Early next week starts dry and seasonable, but a more significant storm system is expected to develop over the central United States and move through the Great Lakes region Tuesday into Wednesday.

While uncertainty remains in the exact track and intensity, rainfall appears increasingly likely, and any shifts could affect both rain amounts and wind potential.

The system will likely bring widespread rain to Northeast Ohio, with the heaviest activity currently favored for Tuesday into Tuesday night. Showers could linger into Wednesday — a key travel day before Thanksgiving — but impacts should be minimal.

Behind the system, a colder pattern becomes increasingly likely, with temperatures trending below normal for the holiday and into late November as the broader setup favors chillier air across Northeast Ohio and much of the northern U.S.