The arctic air mass that spilled into the Ohio Valley was centered right over Columbus on Tuesday. Highs barely made it past the middle teens after temperatures started out in the single digits this morning. The temperature will stay cold on Wednesday, but some snow will be thrown into the mix.
Temperatures will bottom out once again for your Wednesday morning. Some areas could even be a little colder than this morning. Lows are expected to be around 3 degrees in Columbus but some readings below zero are likely in outlying areas. The good news is that winds will be much more calm meaning we will not be dealing with the serious wind chills from this morning on Wednesday.
A weak disturbance in the atmosphere called a clipper will slide through a northwesterly jet stream flow on Wednesday. This will keep the temperature cold and provide the chance for light accumulations of snow. The heaviest snow will fall along a northwest to southeast oriented line between Cincinnati and Columbus.
Anywhere from a coating to one inch of snow is expected in the Columbus metro area. Locations just southwest of Columbus could see isolated amounts just over an inch inside the heavier bands of snow. The timing for the snow will be during the afternoon and evening hours. This means the evening rush could be a little slippery so allow extra time for traveling. While major snow is not expected, we saw on Monday how a small amount of snow can cause serious problems on the roads. Be prepared to rapidly changing road conditions Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Thursday will be our break between weather systems. Expect some sunshine and continued cold weather. Lows could dip into the single digits again in some locations on Thursday morning thanks to the expected fresh snow on the ground. Highs will struggle to make it past 20 degrees.
Another weak weather system will head our way for Friday. Forecast models are showing more cold and dry air than previously expected. This means all precipitation will be in the form of snow, but amounts will not be very high.
Snow will be likely anytime after 8 a.m. on Friday. The heaviest will finish falling by sunset but some lingering flurries and snow showers will be possible through the evening hours. Accumulations are currently expected to only be a few inches. However if this system ends up a little stronger than currently forecast, snow totals could increase. The latest forecast information will be posted right here one examiner.com throughout the week as this storm approaches.
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