Warm temperatures with occasional chances for rain are expected with crossing disturbances early this week before late-week low pressure brings colder air and more widespread precipitation.
Temperatures this afternoon will warm to the 50s today. Weak low pressure travels through the Great Lakes region lifting a warm front through east-central Ohio. Most of the moisture associated with this feature will set up well to our north and south keeping our area dry despite the cloud cover. The best chance of seeing any decent clearing will be late in the day.
High pressure returns this evening/tonight allowing skies to clear out. With light winds and moisture residing at the surface, there is a potential for fog developing overnight and Wednesday morning.
A stronger low pressure system and cold front will sweep through Ohio Wednesday evening/night. Locally, we will see better odds for scattered showers mainly during the afternoon and into the first half of Wednesday night. Breezy southwest winds will set up along the front and it will turn breezy with gusts around 20 mph Wednesday night. Otherwise, Wednesday will be another warm day with temperatures in the low-50s.
The most notable feature with Wednesday’s front will be the transition to winter-like temperatures. Temperatures Thursday and Friday will be closer to our average for mid-January.
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
While it’s a bit too soon yet for details, the models are remarkably consistent in bringing low pressure out of the Plains and into the eastern Great Lakes area on Saturday. Precipitation types will vary depending on the exact track and strength of the system. Generally speaking, though, we can expect a mixed bag of precipitation types from this here in the Valley.
Things could start out Saturday with sleet/rain mix before changing over to all rain by mid-day. Then, wrap-around snow takes over as the low shifts east late in the day Saturday. Nothing is concrete yet, but confidence is increasing for more of a wintry feel to this weekend’s storm than last weekend’s. We’ll just have to wait until later in the week for all of the details regarding p-types and amounts to get worked out. Accumulating snow and a variety of wintry precipitation types is a possibility locally with this storm. We also need to be aware of the potential for strong wind Saturday into Saturday night.
High pressure will return dry weather to the region Sunday and MLK Day. Temperatures will be much colder with daytime highs in the low-30s and nighttime lows in the low-20s.
LONG RANGE
Generally speaking, conditions look favorable for the cold temperatures that arrive this week and early next week will persist through the second half of January. We’re about half way through meteorological winter at this point. There is still a good opportunity for some cold and snowy weather yet ahead.
