Today, The National Weather Service in Wilmington has issued a forecast for Columbus and Cincinnati regions that's going to have Ohioans bracing for a wintry mix of weather. With a cold front on the move, we're set to see a cocktail of gusty winds, rain, and, later, possibly some snow flurries as the front moves out, leaving a much colder air mass in its wake for Friday.
As the front barrels into the area, look out for that mercury to rise to pleasantly mild highs in the mid to upper 50s — but don't be fooled, these warm temps are just the calm before the storm. "Ahead of this, a 50-70 knot 850 mb jet will shift east into the region through the afternoon hours," the forecasting discussion notes, leading to "good moisture transport" into the region.
Wind advisories might as well be on the table, folks, since forecasters are predicting winds cranking up to 20-30 mph, with gusts potentially blowing around at a blustery 35 to 45 mph as the afternoon wears on. Residents in the northwest should particularly note that the "strongest wind gusts are expected" in their area, as reported by NWS. But the bluster doesn't end there, as this front passes, and we enter the cold air advection phase, another round of strong, toe-numbing gusts could whack us late Thursday into Friday morning.
For those tense with the anticipation of snow, it's a bit of a mixed bag. The National Weather Service coyly suggests "a few snow showers" are possible, but with the stipulation that "the deeper moisture should be limited, so do not think it will amount to too much in the way of accumulation."
Aviation-wise, the forecast notes that "LLWS will also be possible today into early this evening," with conditions deteriorating to MVFR later in the afternoon and persisting overnight. A secondary cold front could bring isolated to scattered snow showers and "localized MVFR to IFR vsbys late tonight into Friday morning," so for the frequent flyers among us, anticipate potential delays and turbulence on deck.
Looking forward to the weekend and next week doesn't offer much respite: another cold front is expected Sunday with "highs generally in the 30s," according to NWS, meaning a brisk end to the weekend with a chance for light precipitation. For those pining for a preview of next week's weather theatrics, there's a low confidence forecast involving potential precipitation with temperatures expected to rise above the norm, signifying any precipitation would likely take the form of rain.
