Ohio Prepares for Snowstorm, Cold Snap Grips Region
The calm of high pressure will briefly settle over Columbus and Cincinnati before a snowstorm sweeps through Ohio this Friday. The National Weather Service (NWS) has announced that high pressure moving northeast will offer cold but clear conditions today and tonight. However, foregone is the reprieve as an incoming storm system is expected to batter the area with snow from Friday afternoon into the night, inviting the high pressure's return for the weekend.
For today, early morning high pressure is centered in the mid-south and is anticipated to relieve our northern and eastern counties from persistent cloud cover as winds back. Despite this, areas north and east of Columbus may contend with lingering clouds for most of the day. For those yearning for specifics, highs will rest in the lower to mid-20s, as reported by the NWS.
As night falls, the high pressure that will have held court over our skies will herald southerly winds and an uptick in cloud coverage. This foreshadows the system that will later manifest as snowfall. According to the NWS, the variability in atmospheric factors, such as liquid precipitation availability and snow ratios, cast some uncertainty on snowfall amounts. Despite this, the forecast suggests that northern Kentucky, southeast Indiana, and southwest Ohio will shoulder between 3.5 and 4 inches of snow— enough to warrant a winter storm watch from Friday morning to Saturday morning. Meanwhile, over in the Scioto Valley, snow will begin a touch later, and with greater uncertainty in western counties, advisories have been withheld for the time being.
NWS cautions that evening temperatures could plummet between 5 and 15 degrees before rising under the blanket of clouds that signal approaching snow. Friday's highs will peak in the mid-20s to about 30. The incoming snow isn't the only actor in this winter play. As the disturbance trails off, a clipper system will enter stage left late Sunday and into Monday, conceding to another blast of arctic air by Tuesday and Wednesday.
For aviators, as the clouds continue their southeast march, the Columbus terminals might encounter MVFR ceilings early, mainly those flights taking off around dawn. The NWS indicates that after those early hours, VFR conditions are expected until the cloud curtain lifts completely. Westerly winds will bear left to the southwest by the afternoon and south by night, pacing below 10 knots. Pilots should anticipate MVFR to IFR conditions Friday afternoon into night and potentially lingering MVFR ceilings into the weekend. Travelers and residents alike should brace for a wintry mix, and those in the storm's path must prepare for potential disruptions and frigid conditions as the week draws to a close.
