The National Weather Service has issued a snow advisory for much of Ohio, including the Columbus area, for early Tuesday, ending days of unseasonably warm weather. There is a chance for rain to start before midnight. The rain will give way to a 50-percent chance of snow by 1 a.m. with northeast winds between 11 and 17 mph. Columbus had been enjoying a week of temperatures reaching the 50s and even 60s but the transition to colder and wet weather is expected for the rest of the week.
The NWS says we could accumulate less than a half-inch of snow, revising its earlier prediction of at least an inch. The rain/snow line shifted southeast and warm ground temperatures could initially keep snow from accumulating on roads. “A low-pressure system will move northeast across the eastern Tennessee Valley and central Appalachians tonight before transitioning to a coast low on Tuesday,” NWS reported. “Some accumulating wet snow is forecast with the highest amounts occurring over south central Ohio and northeast Kentucky.” The weather service is forecasting highs in the 40s in Columbus for the rest of the week as winter weather keeps temperatures lower than the unseasonably warm temperatures from the past week.
The forecast for the week in the Columbus area includes temperatures in the 40s with partly sunny, sunny and rainy conditions, setting another transition from the previously warm weather to the current cooler temperature and snow advisory. The National Weather Service warns that water accumulations are possible everywhere, and residents should watch out for slippery roads and sidewalks and possible black ice, even though the snow accumulation is expected to be less than an inch. So, Columbus residents may need to put away those flip flops and bring out the snow boots again for the rest of the week.