A large storm system will track east over northern Alabama on Sunday spreading snow showers into east-central Ohio. Much colder temperatures will arrive over the weekend and continue into the first half of next week.
Saturday looks mostly dry and uneventful. Morning sunshine will give way to increasing clouds as low pressure moves east across the upper Great Lakes today. Snow showers from this feature will keep mainly well north of the Valley. Temperatures will warm a bit in the afternoon but we will still top out below average for early March with highs will only getting to the low 40s.
SUNDAY’S ‘BIG’ SNOW
The models are beginning to agree on Sunday’s much-hyped big winter storm. Yeah. We will get some snow on Sunday. But tomorrow’s snow storm will not be THE big storm many were harping about early in the week. At least, not for us here in the Valley. Scrap out that Weather Channel app that called for 8+ inches of snow a couple of days ago.
Recent model runs have continued to trend further south with Sunday’s system. This would keep the heaviest swath of snowfall south of the Valley. As I mentioned earlier, we will still get some snow on Sunday, but it will almost certainly not be a big deal.
TIMING
Sunday morning should be just fine. If you are attending Sunday morning services, grabbing breakfast at the restaurant, or need to run some errands you’ll be fine. Snow showers will arrive in the afternoon and continue through Sunday evening. Snow will taper off after 5:00 PM and finally exit the region around 10:00 PM.
I can’t rule out a bit of rain just as things get started, but any drizzle or light rain should become snow quickly.
LOCAL IMPACTS
It’s toward the end of winter so everyone should know the drill by now. Untreated roads will be the first to get snow covered and slick. Snowfall could get be moderate to heavy at times so even the well-traveled and treated highways will get slippery in spots. As temperatures cool down in the afternoon, bridges and overpasses will be the first to ice up.
There will not be any gusty wind with this so power outages are a low threat. Snowfall will be moderate to heavy at times and may reduce your visibility. We should all know by now that even small accumulation on some of our rural roads can make them a challenge.
SNOW AMOUNTS
Since the main center of the storm will be well south of Ohio, snow will spread into the Valley south to north. This means that those neighborhoods in the southern part of the Valley (Newcomerstown, Gnadenhutton, Port Washington, etc.)will likely see more snow than those in the northern half (Bolivar, Zoar, Strasburg, etc.).
Temperatures will be at or near freezing, so the snow tomorrow will be heavy and wet.
Remember, though, snow forecasts are only a guide and probably aren’t going to be EXACT. Snow always has an impact on your day so it’s always best to focus on that. This storm as slowly inched southward in the modeling over the past 36 hours and that trend could continue today. Further south would mean less snow for our area.
Perhaps the biggest impact from all of this will be the very cold air that will arrive with tomorrow’s snow. Temperatures will start out Sunday morning in the upper 20s and will not gain much more than a few degrees during the day. Cold arctic air will spread south behind the snow Sunday night and be early Monday, temperatures around the Valley will be in the upper teens.
That cold air will stick around for a few days and it’s going to feel more like January than March. Sunday’s snow will probably stick around for a while.
On the plus side, high pressure will build over the region for Monday and Tuesday. That will bring dry weather and sunshine to the Valley through the middle of next week. The sun is getting higher and stronger as we approach spring, so we’ve got that going for us.
I’ll post updates as needed but if today’s data continues with a weaker and more southerly system, any changes in snow accumulation would trend toward less snow for our local area. You can always check our 7-Day Forecast for any last minute changes.
