We will have no weather issues today. High pressure will bring a mostly sunny day to the Valley. Temperatures, however, will remain about 15° colder than they should be. Area neighborhoods will see temperatures in the mid-40s this afternoon.
Clouds will begin to fill in this evening and tonight ahead of a low pressure system that will travel from Illinois through central Ohio tonight through Friday. A warm front will push into Ohio tonight ahead of the low. Moisture with the front will combine with cold air to produce snow showers in northwestern Ohio. The snow will then spread into eastern Ohio early Friday morning.
Heaviest snowfall from this system will set up mainly in northwestern and northern portions of the state. Some of those areas could see a couple/three inches of snow out of this. Here in the Valley, snow will be much less. Some of our northern Tuscarawas County neighborhoods might end up with a coating on the grass and elevated surfaces. Most of our roads should be mainly wet, but there can be slick spots on bridges and overpasses.
Snowfall locally will be heaviest after sunrise Friday through the early morning. Snow will mix with rain, then change over to all rain by mid-morning. Rain showers will continue for much of the afternoon and evening and any snow that stuck in the morning will be long gone.
There is one caveat, though. The modeling has kept the track of low pressure far enough north that the heaviest accumulation stays north of our area. Lately, the models have shifted the low a bit farther south. Should this southerly trend continue, it would bring heavier snow amounts to our area. So, uncertainty remains in the forecast regarding snow amounts here.
The low will pull northeast and away from east-central Ohio Friday night. We will need to leave slight chances for lingering light rain/snow in the forecast as the system pulls away. Skies will gradually begin clearing during the wee hours Saturday morning as high pressure builds into the region. The high will keep dry conditions and fair weather going through Saturday.
We should remain dry through lunchtime on Sunday until a cold front approaches and moves through east-central Ohio Sunday afternoon. Scattered rain showers will then be possible Sunday afternoon and evening with the front.
Temperatures will warm slightly over the weekend with afternoon highs in the low-50 on Saturday. Sunday will be the warmest day of the weekend despite the potential for clouds and showers with highs in the upper-50s.
NEXT WEEK
The models are in pretty good agreement of high pressure settling in for Monday and Tuesday. This would mean fair weather for the Valley to start the workweek. A low pressure system will then bring chances for rain back to the area Tuesday night and Wednesday.
Monday would be the coolest with afternoon highs in the mid-50s. Temperatures then look to warm to around 60° for Tuesday and Wednesday.
LONG RANGE
I hope I’m not breaking any hearts here but the current cold snap and snow episode could be the last we see for the season. Current model projections bring warm temperatures back to east-central Ohio by next weekend. There are even some 70s showing up! With all that’s going on, this looks like some good news for a change.
The end of your forecast isn’t going to break my heart at all!