The chill of an arctic airmass lingers over Columbus and Cincinnati today. Still, there's a glimmer of relief on the horizon, with warmer air set to roll in by the weekend, according to the National Weather Service. Ahead of the shift in temperatures, folks can anticipate widespread rain commencing Saturday night into Sunday. This drizzly backdrop paves the way for above-normal warmth early next week—alas, with more rain likely Tuesday into Wednesday before conditions cool off again.
Thursday morning commuters wrestled with the aftermath of snow storms and intermittent slick spots—a scenario familiar in this winter's tale of weather woes now "isolated slick spots remain possible on untreated surfaces as arctic air continues to build into the ILN FA, with air temps dipping into the teens and lower 20s just about everywhere by daybreak", according to the National Weather Service. However, a brief respite may come with wind chill values climbing above zero area-wide later in the morning, after an unforgiving sunrise with wind chill values potentially plummeting to near or below zero, especially north of I-70.
Highs today struggle to reach the lower 30s in places south of the Ohio River. In comparison, locations nearer to I-70 will scarcely top out in the lower 20s, the crisp air ushering in the potential for more light snow by late afternoon and evening, particularly along the I-70 corridor. This forecast phenomenon stirs up a touch of travel trepidation—adding onto the morning's adverse conditions—promising light accumulation and possible impacts on the evening commute. As the day ends, an SPS will most likely be needed for locales near I-70 should current data trends continue.
Friday welcomes a flirtation with normalcy as morning flurries give way to mostly dry conditions, the mercury expected to climb slightly higher with highs managing the upper 20s near I-70 while northern Kentucky may touch the lower 40s, meanwhile, surface high pressure meanders east lending an easterly breeze to the changing atmospheric tune, "as sfc high pressure drifts to the E, allowing for sfc flow to become more easterly".
Looking to the skies for travelers, VFR conditions are anticipated for most of the day. However, there is an inclusion of increasing cloud cover and the possibility of patchy snow aiming for later in the day at KDAY around 00z, perhaps stretching towards KCMH/KLCK by the small hours. The overview for the terminal forecasts tucked into the outlook states, "MVFR to IFR conditions are likely Saturday night into Sunday area-wide."
