Posted Thursday AM, March 10, 2022
A late season winter storm is set to bring accumulating snow, gusty wind, and cold wind chills to east-central Ohio this weekend.
Friday will start out as a decent enough March day. Temperatures across the Valley will top out in the low-50s by the afternoon. Clouds will increase through the day, however, as a storm system approaches and moisture increases during the latter part of the day. Rain showers will gradually increase as well Friday evening as a potent cold front approaches from the west.
Moisture will increase and rain showers will likely spread east into the area around or shortly after sunset. As the rain gets underway, colder air will also start to filter in changing liquid precipitation to snow. Once the snow gets going it will likely continue through the night into Saturday morning.
The heaviest snow will fall through the pre-dawn hours Saturday. The area of moderate to heavy snowfall will shift east toward sunrise Saturday. Snow showers will probably continue for the better part of the morning before tapering off and ending in the afternoon.
Temperatures will remain fairly steady Saturday around 23°/25°. A gusty northwest wind will keep wind chills in the lower teens for much of the day. It’ll be a blustery day with blowing and drifting snow.
HOW MUCH SNOW ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
The bulk of the snow will accumulate Friday night. Everyone in Valley will get accumulating snow. March is a tough time to forecast snow but I’ll give it my best shot.
Generally speaking, everyone will end up with at least an inch or two. I think that’s a given. The latest data supports a good 3″ to 5″ in our area with a mean of 4″. I’m fairly confident with that number. Six inches of snow can’t be ruled out completely but I think the odds for 6-inches or more in our area are pretty low from what I see this morning.
This is March, not January. The ground is warmer and this will have an impact on how much snow accumulates on road surfaces. It will snow at a pretty good clip at times Friday night and snow will build up quickly on the roads – especially untreated roads. Bridges and overpasses will be the first to have snow accumulate and get slick.
The bottom line: If you must be out Friday night through early Saturday morning, be prepared for impacts to travel. Expect snow-covered highways and a slow go. Heavy snow showers will also cause visibility problems Friday night. Snow will be widespread and everyone in our area will get wintry impacts from snow accumulation. Sleet and ice will not be an issue.
This will be a quick-hitting storm. Clouds will clear out Saturday night leaving us with a breezy but sunny Sunday. Temperatures will rebound to near 40° Sunday afternoon.
As it is with ALL winter storms, there will likely be adjustments to the forecast over the next 24 hours. Local updates will be posted here and on Twitter (@tuscwx) as needed. Be safe out there.
Thanks once again for your timely forecast. I always wait on this for the most accurate one in our area.