After a mild Saturday with highs in the 50s, the temperature barely reached the freezing mark on Sunday afternoon. Expect the weather to turn even colder for your Monday.
The first blast of cold air hit on Saturday night from a cold front sweeping across the Ohio Valley. That brought a return to typical winter time temperatures. However, a secondary cold front will sweep across the region Monday as part of a clipper system. This will unleash the door to arctic air which will knock the temperature down into the single digits by Tuesday morning. A few flurries or light snow showers may accompany the clipper system. Not much in the way of accumulation is expected although a dusting is possible if you see a heavier snow shower.
Not only will the actual temperature be turning frigid, but the winds will make it feel even worse. Gusts will be on the order of 20 to 25 mph by Monday evening. With winds staying between 15 and 20 mph through Tuesday morning, the wind chill could dip as low as -10 degrees. The kids will definitely need extra layers as they head off to school on Tuesday morning.
Tuesday will be the coldest day of the week as the arctic air mass is settled right overhead. Highs will barely make it into the middle teens on Tuesday afternoon which is twenty degrees below normal. As the sky clears out and winds calm down, temperatures will drop like a rock once again on Tuesday night. A very light breeze slowly turning to the south may keep us from realizing our coldest potential. The official forecast low for Columbus is in the positive single digits. However, outlying areas will still likely drop below zero.
Another weak disturbance will move through the upper level trough in the atmosphere on Wednesday. Forecast models are at odds with each other on how much precipitation will occur. At least some flurries appear likely, but light accumulations are not out of the question either.
Even with the arctic outbreak to start the week, the weather system that may finish out the week could become the bigger headline. As the coldest air lifts back north, a much stronger disturbance will move in from the west. This will spawn an area of low pressure that looks to track through the Ohio Valley. On the cold side, significant snow and ice accumulations will be likely. The exact track of this storm is still uncertain, and as usual Columbus is riding the line on precipitation type. The forecast will be updated throughout the week as the system draws closer. Right now, a wintry mix of different precipitation types appears likely Thursday night into Friday. Stay tuned!
The full 7-Day forecast is in the slideshow!
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