Residents of Columbus, Cincinnati, and surrounding areas are gearing up for a frosty morning followed by a slight warming trend over the coming days. According to the National Weather Service forecast, a Canadian high-pressure system is to blame for the below-average temperatures we're experiencing, with early morning readings dipping into the upper 20s to lower 30s.
While a freeze warning was in effect until 9 AM this morning for a broad swath covering parts of Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana, the expected abundant sunshine as the day progresses should alleviate the chill, nudging the mercury toward the 60-degree mark, still, let's face it, a good five degrees shy of the norm for this time of year. Amid this cold snap, a "large mid-level ridge" has been nudging east, granting us northerly flows and accompanying cooler air.
Clear skies and light winds overnight will further set the stage for another cold one. Temperatures will likely hover in the lower to mid-30s, and daybreak could greet some with frost—an all-too-familiar visitor of late.
Looking ahead, the weekend should offer a reprieve from Jack Frost as we’re slowly drawn into a more comfortable, climatological embrace, with daytime highs slated to climb into the mid and upper 60s by Friday, inching us back toward seasonal normality, and when the weekend rolls around we can expect mostly sunny skies and even milder temperatures to follow suit. The warming trend continues courtesy of a firm ridge in the mid-levels becoming "amplified over the Midwest region," on these bright days ahead, according to the National Weather Service, it's poised to provide ample respite from any lingering winter thoughts.
Aviators also get the all-clear, with general VFR conditions expected throughout the period, save for the usual caveat of possible morning river valley fog around the usual suspects like KLUK, which may well see LIFR conditions until around 13Z. The weekend is shaping up to be free of significant weather, so for local pilots, it looks like smooth skies ahead.
