Winter weather advisory: Multiple rounds of snow heading for Columbus

A cold and very snowy weather pattern is about to unleash upon Ohio! Over the next four to five days, multiple weather systems will deliver light accumulations of snow. However, these could all add up to over six inches of snow on the ground by the middle of next week!

Even with multiple days in the 60s during January, we only ended up 2.5 degrees above normal. That shows just how many days of extremely cold weather we had to counter the days that ran 20 to 30 degrees above normal. This colder weather pattern is here to stay for the next week, and so is the snow.

A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Columbus from 4 a.m. Saturday until 7 a.m. Sunday. Snow will begin in Columbus around daybreak on Saturday and last throughout most of the day. This particular weather system will be a long duration snow event. This means that the snow totals being forecast will fall over a period of 24 to 36 hours. That does not mean that travel will not be impacted though.

The heaviest period of snow on Saturday will be from the middle of the morning through the middle of the afternoon. During this time, a couple inches of snow will be likely. The snow will become lighter in intensity on Saturday evening; although another ½ to 1 inch will accumulate. This means that snowfall accumulations of 2 to 3 inches will occur through Saturday night at midnight.

Lingering moisture and another weak disturbance in the atmosphere will keep light snow around through the first half of Sunday. The snow will come to an end by Sunday evening and up to one inch of additional accumulation will be possible.

By the end of this weekend, anywhere from two to four inches of snow will likely accumulate across most of Ohio including Columbus. With the heaviest snow falling around midday Saturday, this is when roads will likely be in the worst condition. However, falling temperatures Saturday night could cause more trouble. With snow possible both days of the weekend, expect slick spots to be possible at any time. Be sure to use extra caution if you will be out traveling at all on Saturday or Sunday.

The cold has been the other big headline for weather in Columbus. We saw wind chills drop to 15 below zero this morning. Expect lows to drop well into the single digits again tonight with readings near zero possible east of Columbus on Saturday morning. Highs will top out in the 20s both days of the weekend, although Sunday will be the colder day.

The next clipper system is already lined up behind our weekend snow maker. The exact track of that system is still uncertain. Depending on where the heaviest band of snow sets up, an additional few inches of snow could fall.

Yet another disturbance will swing by on Tuesday. This system could focus snow more north of Columbus than the last few. However, another couple inches of snow will be possible again depending on the exact track of the storm.

If you have been keeping track of these numbers in your head, you will probably realize that we could have a fairly impressive snow depth by next Wednesday! In total, anywhere from 6 to 10 inches of snow could fall between Saturday and Tuesday. Keep the shovel, coat, and snow brush handy! Stay with examiner.com for the latest updates on snow throughout the weekend and next week.

Forecast graphics are in the new “list” of photos feature both above and below this article!

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