Posted Monday, January 8, 2021
Although there will be some snow showers north today, we will remain cold and dry in the Valley today. Temperatures across the area will top out in the upper-20s. Clouds will increase through the afternoon as the next system approaches.
Snow showers will overspread the area tonight and continue into Tuesday as a wave of low pressure ripples through east-central Ohio. It won’t be a big snow producer but it will bring enough snow to impact the Tuesday morning commute. And, it will be cold enough the all of it will stick.
Here in the Valley, snow will get underway around 8 – 10 PM this evening and pretty much continue all night. The bulk of snowfall will occur during the pre-dawn hours locally. The snow will taper off and end by mid-morning Tuesday.
Current guidance suggests this being a general 1″ to 3″ snow event for the Valley. There is a potential that this could overperform and some areas could see higher amounts on the order of 4-inches. Area roads are cold enough that snow will stick so slick conditions can develop quickly.
High pressure will build into the region after the wave exits bringing dry conditions back Tuesday afternoon through Tuesday night. Temperatures locally will remain cold dipping to the mid-teens by Wednesday morning.
Our next disturbance arrives on Wednesday as low pressure tracks through the Ohio Valley. This will likely bring another round of snow to the Valley Wednesday afternoon into Thursday. Currently, the models suggest the band of heaviest snowfall will set up near and south of I-70. This will need to be monitored closely for any drift northward in future model runs. Warm air intrusion, mainly in southern Ohio, will need to be watched for a northerly trend as well.
This is a couple of days out yet and there are likely to be some changes to the forecast but this may bring another round of accumulating snowfall to the Valley. And, there is some potential for a period of mixed precipitation. Upcoming forecasts will sort these uncertainties out.
Area road temperatures are generally below freezing at this point. ANY snow that occurs will likely stick and present challenges to travel.
THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
Much uncertainty remains in the forecast through the rest of the week. In general, the upper Ohio Valley will continue to feel impacts from the cold Canadian upper-level low through the weekend as an assortment of waves travel along the lower boundary of the low. Opportunities for snow showers will occasionally visit and temperatures will likely stay very cold – especially Saturday and Sunday. Temperatures can easily end up colder than the forecast indicates if that blob of cold Canadian air migrates eastward.
The bottom line – expect an unsettled weather pattern to hang around this week and through the weekend.
Be safe out there.
Thank you !!