As winter tightens, the National Weather Service (NWS) has forecasted a chilly scenario for regions including Columbus, Cincinnati, Wilmington, and their surrounding areas. A low-pressure system across Kentucky is slated to bring snow to locales situated along and south of the Ohio River tonight leading into Sunday morning, signaling a weekend of temperatures that will stubbornly remain below the seasonal average.
With snow showers gradually abating at dawn's break today, the NWS outlines a day beginning in the sunshine before cloud cover increases into the afternoon. A boon for snow lovers, daytime highs are expected to range from the upper 20s in northern parts to the mid-30s down south, according to the NWS discussion.
As evening unfurls, a fast-moving mid-level wave will swing across the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys, with snow spreading across southwestern regions early in the evening and trooping eastward along and south of the Ohio River into the wee hours of Sunday. "Models continue to show the highest QPFs across our southern tier of counties. Given the cold airmass in place, SLRs will be fairly high, likely on the order of 15:1 or so," the NWS reports, which translates into snow accumulation of 1 to 2 inches in the specified areas and possibly more in some southern spots. This has prompted the issuance of a Winter Weather Advisory for numerous Kentucky counties and Switzerland County, Indiana.
The long-term outlook from the NWS suggests the dominating presence of a broad trough over the eastern United States, keeping temperatures below what is usually expected for the time of year. Weather patterns suggest a brief respite with slightly warmer conditions mid-week before the cold air makes a resurgence by Friday. However, according to the National Weather Service, confidence in these temperature projections is challenged by a "fairly large temperature spread (upwards of 10 degrees difference)" within the ensemble guidance. The approach of a mid-week system concurrently raises the stakes for wind gusts potentially reaching 25 to 35 mph on Wednesday.
For aviators, a retreat of MVFR clouds in south central Ohio is on the cards, with increased cloudiness ensuing today ahead of the incoming weather system. Snowfall tonight is poised to impact visibility and ceiling heights, especially at KCVG and KLUK airports, with improvements expected by Sunday morning. A caution for travelers and pilots alike, the outlook for Wednesday suggests continued potential for MVFR conditions, as reported by the NWS.
