After a second winter storm pounded a few inches of snow across the Columbus area over the weekend, Central Ohio is preparing for another onslaught of snow today.
A winter weather advisory is in effect for Central Ohio from Midnight to 1 PM on Wednesday. An advisory for winter weather is issued when one or more of the following are anticipated: Three to five inches of snow in a single day, up to one-fourth of an inch of sleet, freezing rain mixed with snow and/or sleet, or blowing snow are all examples of snowfall.
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Here’s all you need to know:
Winter advisory:
Between Tuesday night and Wednesday lunchtime, according to the Wilmington National Weather Service, two to four inches of snow will fall. It will snow at those hours, with a chance for sleet or ice precipitation in the middle to late morning, across much of central Ohio, including Franklin County.
The National Weather Service is currently issuing a warning about the possibility of gusty winds on Wednesday afternoon and evening with wind gusts that could reach 32 mph.
The NWS predicts that Marysville and other communities northwest of Columbus could get an inch of snowfall per hour or more through Wednesday morning, with a potential total accumulation of up to half a foot.
For areas northwest and along I-71, the NWS said it had high confidence in its forecasted snowfall totals, while it had lower confidence for areas southeast of the interstate.
Snow predictions:
On Wednesday, snow is predicted to start falling about 1 a.m. and last until about 10 a.m. James Gibson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, predicts that the snow will eventually change to sleet and precipitation, possibly resulting in slick roads.
According to Gibson, temperatures will gradually increase from approximately 28 degrees overnight to a high of roughly 41 degrees on Wednesday afternoon before dropping down to normal Wednesday night.
With temperatures once more below freezing early on Thursday, the area could get a small dusting of additional snow on top of the frozen standing water, which would make traffic challenging once more, according to Gibson. The remainder of Thursday is forecast to see intermittent snow showers, he said.
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Schools in Columbus might cancel classes:
Each school district or school will determine whether to delay or cancel classes on Wednesday, and will inform students and parents via texts, automated phone calls, websites, and/or other channels.
Located in a location that might receive up to a foot of snow, Marysville Exempted Village Schools announced Tuesday night that it would be cancelled Wednesday along with Buckeye Central Schools. On Wednesday, dozens of other independent, preparatory, and charter schools in the Columbus area made closure or two-hour delay announcements.
Columbus City Schools, the state’s largest school district with approximately 47,000 students attending more than 100 schools, provides bus service to approximately 36,000 students from district, charter, and parochial schools. As of Tuesday night, the district had made no decisions regarding Wednesday morning delays or cancellations.
The Ohio Department of Transportation, Franklin and other surrounding counties, as well as cities and municipalities such as Columbus, will have crews out clearing and salting roads. If road conditions worsen, Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and other county sheriffs in central Ohio may declare a snow emergency.
