Very cold weather will continue through Friday. Snow is expected to return late tonight through Friday with a crossing clipper system. Warmer temperatures will arrive over the weekend.
High pressure will keep the sunshine going today and temperatures will recover somewhat this afternoon. It will still be a cold day with an afternoon high around 8°/9° – just not quite as cold as it was yesterday. Wind chills will still be an issue yet today with a breezy west wind around 10 to 15 mph.
Dry conditions will continue this evening ahead of a weak clipper system that will spread snow showers into east-central Ohio late tonight into Friday morning.
It’s a fast mover and doesn’t appear to bring a lot of snow but the timing and single-digit temperatures tonight will lead to impacts for the morning commute.
Guidance this morning suggests that snow showers start around or just after 2:00 AM and continue through 11:00 AM. With the recent arctic conditions, everything is cold – roads, overpasses, sidewalks, etc. So, all the snow will stick.
Liquid to snow ratios will be higher than the normal 10:1 so this will be fluffy stuff. Wind overnight and Friday will be light but any kind of breeze will lift this fluff. That, plus the fact that plain salt on the roads doesn’t work all that well in this kind of cold. It might be a little slippery on your way to work in the morning.
Snow showers should push east of the Valley in the afternoon. Temperatures on Friday will not be nearly as cold as recent days with highs in the mid-20s. Dry conditions will continue Friday night with lows in the low 20s.
WEEKEND WARMUP
Temperatures will begin warming early Saturday morning and by sunrise, temperatures should already be near 30° – relatively balmy compared to the bitter cold this week. The better part of the day should be dry, but a weak warm front will lift through the region in the afternoon. There is not much moisture with this feature but I can’t completely rule out light rain showers late in the afternoon. Temperatures will warm to the low 40s.
Sunday looks to be the better day of the weekend with dry conditions and occasional sun. Temperatures will really take off to the point where we see afternoon highs in the 53°/55°.
MONDAY THROUGH MIDWEEK
Modeling is some amount of uncertainty regarding a strengthening low-pressure system poised to cross the Great Lakes region around Monday. With warm temperatures firmly in place, rain looks likely to spread into east-central Ohio. Monday’s system will be followed by yet another low keeping the odds for rain in the forecast through midweek.
Temperatures through the period will generally remain in the low- 50s and nighttime lows around 40°
LONGER RANGE
Our February thaw looks to continue into mid-week next week before temperatures return to seasonal values once again.
At least ensemble temperature outlooks aren’t painting a return to bitter cold like we’ve seen this week.
