Updated Winter Storm Timeline and Impacts for the Tuscarawas Valley Area

Published 10:00 AM Thursday, December 22, 2022

TODAY
We’ll see warmer temperatures in the upper 30s/low 40s with increasing chances for rain as we go through the day.

TONIGHT
Temperatures remain relatively warm into Thursday night with light rain likely.

FRIDAY BEFORE SUNRISE
A potent cold front will bring an arctic airmass into the area around 4:00/5:00 AM. Temperatures will quickly plunge behind the front. Any rain will quickly change to snow and it will become windy. Wind gusts of 30 to 40 mph will be common. Any standing rainwater/moisture on area roads, walkways, decks, etc. will flash freeze. Snow and blowing snow may cause whiteouts. Road conditions will quickly deteriorate.

FRIDAY
Gusty wind on the order of 40 to 50 mph with sustained wind 20 to 25 mph and falling temperatures will continue through most of the morning. Snowfall should begin tapering off by 10:00/11:00 AM but gusty winds will continue blowing and drifting snow. Temperatures will stay in the single digits. Additional snowfall is possible.

FRIDAY NIGHT
Low confidence with regards to any additional snowfall overnight. Most additional snow accumulation looks to remain in the primary snow belt areas to our north. However, there remains a low possibility we could see some light accumulation in areas along and north of New Phila. Temperatures Friday night will again be very cold with strong gusts 40 to 50 mph likely to continue.

CHRISTMAS EVE
I’m not expecting any measurable snowfall on Saturday but there can be some light snow mainly in the morning. It won’t amount to much but expect a small accumulation. It will be another day of brutal cold and wind. Wind chills will be nothing to mess with.

CHRISTMAS DAY
Expect cold but uneventful weather on Christmas Day.

LOCAL STORM IMPACTS
Travel will be challenging at best – especially on Friday. Expect deteriorating road conditions early Friday along with constantly changing road conditions throughout the day. Area roads will be slick. Any standing water/moisture will freeze quickly as temperatures decrease and snow will accumulate on top of that. Strong wind may cause whiteouts and hamper visibility. Road treatment is less effective at these cold temperatures.

Winds will be particularly brutal. Strong wind and very cold temperatures in the single digits all day Friday into Friday night. Tree damage and power outages are a big concern.

Wind chills in the -25° range can cause frostbite in as little as 15/20 minutes.

Snow amounts will be fairly modest but everyone will get snow. The highest accumulations will occur Friday. Additional light snow accumulation is possible on Christmas Eve. Blowing and drifting snow will remain an issue through Saturday. Snow depth will vary greatly from one spot to another.

This snow will be very light and fluffy so it’s going to be blowing around a lot.

SNOW AMOUNTS
Accumulating snow is but one part of the storm so it’s best not to get too wrapped up in exact amounts. It will be blowing around anyway. Every location will see accumulating snow in varying degrees. I still think 2 inches to 4 inches is a good bet as a general amount for our area. I would lean toward the higher amounts in areas along and north of New Phila.

As a general rule, snow amounts will become more impactful as you travel north in Ohio and decrease as you head south.

CLOSING THOUGHTS
This will be an impactful winter storm for everyone in the Valley. It will be very windy, temperatures will get very cold, there will be ice and snow on roads and walkways, travel will be difficult, and there are high probabilities of power outages. The weather is going to be downright nasty for the next few days.

Thank you for using TuscWeather and following along with me these last several days. I hope I was able to help you prepare for the incoming storm by keeping you informed. Thanks so much to those who posted such kind comments. If you do Twitter, I do post frequent weather info for our area @tuscwx. As always, be safe these next few days.

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