Weather alert: Frost expected across northern Ohio late Thursday into Friday morning

It's that time of year when houses are divided.

And no it is not Browns-Steelers football weekend.

The temperatures outside are starting to fall and couples and even friends find themselves divided over whether it is time to turn on the heat.

This debate is about to get even more heated as the National Weather Service says frost is likely in many areas of northern Ohio late Thursday night into Friday morning.

With overnight temperatures in the low to mid 30s, the weather service says homeowners should take precautions to protect outdoor plants.

Overnight lows are expected to rebound into the 50s by Friday night with a chance of widespread showers by Saturday night.

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Is it too early to turn on the heat?

There is no hard and fast answer as to when it is best to turn the heat on.

It depends on your tolerance for a chilly night's sleep.

But heating and cooling experts say it is probably not a bad idea to fire up the furnace earlier rather than later in the season when it gets extremely cold so you will know if there's an issue with the furnace.

And this cold snap is a good reminder for those homeowners who don't keep track of such things to change out the furnace filter to avoid costly issues later.

Federal officials point out that heating a home uses more energy and costs more than any other system in a household − accounting for about 29% of a typical utility bill.

They suggest setting the temperature at 68 degrees on chilly days.

And perhaps even lower at night.

The Cleveland Clinic says the recommended thermostat setting for nighttime is between 60 and 67 degrees for a goodnight's sleep.

What's the weather forecast?

Wednesday night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42. Northwest wind around 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.

Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 63. Calm wind becoming north 5 to 8 mph in the morning.

Thursday night: Patchy frost after 5 a.m. Otherwise, clear, with a low around 36. Light and variable wind.

Friday: Patchy frost before 8 a.m. Otherwise, sunny, with a high near 74. Light south wind becoming southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph.

Friday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 53.

Saturday: A chance of showers after 2 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Chance of precipitation is 30%.

Saturday night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 53. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Sunday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 71. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Sunday night: Showers likely, mainly before 2 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 43. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Columbus Day: A chance of showers. Partly sunny, with a high near 56. Chance of precipitation is 50%.

Monday night: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Tuesday: A chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 53. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

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This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Weather alert: Frost expected across northern Ohio late Thursday into Friday morning