As Ohioans braced for a low-pressure system traversing the region, the National Weather Service in Wilmington provided updates that included a mix of rain and snow for the Columbus, Cincinnati, and Wilmington areas. According to NWS, the weather system was expected to sustain seasonably cold temperatures throughout the majority of the coming week, with multiple weather disturbances impacting the area mid to late in the week.
For Sunday, "the ILN fa remains in a WAA regime today, resulting in a surge of relatively warmer air in lower levels," according to NWS. This warmth in the lower atmosphere could impact the type of precipitation that falls throughout the day. A particular concern was for potential patchy freezing drizzle early in the morning, which could lead to very limited, yet present, travel disturbances, especially in locales further south near the Ohio River. As the day progresses, snowfall is expected mainly for counties along and north of the Interstate 70 corridor.
Sunday night and into Monday morning, there were uncertainties regarding how much precipitation would linger, with a gradual switch from rain to snow as temperatures cooled behind the cold front. "Probabilities are extremely low for accumulations greater than 1 in our south, but a few tenths of an inch are not entirely out of the question," says the National Weather Service. These conditions could feasibly influence the Monday morning commute, particularly in southern Ohio, Indiana, and northern Kentucky.
Looking further ahead, the high surface pressure was anticipated to shift east by the start of the coming week, resulting in chilling overnight lows ranging from the teens to the low 20s. The NWS predicts that "behind the high, two fast moving Clipper systems race toward the Great Lakes region," according to the NWS report. The first system was projected to skirt north of the region, with the second potentially bringing more powerful winds and rain on Wednesday. Yet, predictions indicate the possibility of snow showers on the back end of this system into Thursday, with temperatures dipping below seasonal norms as the week closes.
Aviation forecasts hinted at transitory VFR conditions ahead of the cold front on Sunday, with widespread MVFR ceilings returning in the afternoon. Conjecture around IFR conditions remained tentative, but airports including KILN and KCVG/KLUK could see precipitation, likely snow, extending into the night. "Improvement to VFR CIGs expected to occur late tonight from north to south," the NWS advised, setting a cautiously optimistic tone for aviators and travelers alike.
