Seasonal work week, snow chances return this weekend for Columbus area
Clouds tonight will keep temps in check again as most of the area will be about 5 degrees or so above normal to start the day.
QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:
- Tonight: Mostly cloudy, low 29
- Wednesday: Partly sunny, high 41
- Thursday: Slow clearing, colder, high 34
- Friday: Clouds increase, high 37
- Saturday: Rain to snow, high 38
FORECAST DISCUSSION:
Good Tuesday Evening,
It has been another typical early January day with plenty of cloud cover and temps that have been running right about normal in the mid to upper 30s. Clouds tonight will keep temps in check again as most of the area will be about 5 degrees or so above normal to start the day.
Expect a bit more sunshine at times on Wednesday and temps that will be a couple of degrees above normal in the lower 40s. Wednesday night a quick moving rather dry boundary will push through. Its still possible we could see some scattered snow showers overnight, most should be light with lows dropping to the upper 20s. Thursday will be a chillier day behind the front with highs in the middle 30s with clearing skies.
This will set us up for a colder night Thursday night with lows near 20. Expect clouds to increase during the day on Friday with highs in the upper 30s. The weekend gets interesting as a weather system building to our southwest will lift east-northeast towards our area. This will bring precipitation to the area by Saturday afternoon. Temps will climb to the upper 30s on Saturday, but we are on the cusp of a possible rain to snow event.
At this time, it looks like the best chances for accumulating snow will be in the east and southeast where moisture appears to be the highest. However, I do expect at least to I-71 the possibility of some light accumulations with lighter snow northwest on the fringe of this system. With us still being almost 5 days out, and this system yet to develop, exact placement will determine snowfall totals.
This system will be monitored closely with updates the rest of this week. Behind it, we will be cooler in the middle to upper 30s on Sunday with snow flurries in the morning. Monday will be a break from the activity with milder temps near 40. Numbers will boost into the mid to upper 40s on Tuesday as it becomes breezy out of the southeast.
A major system will develop to our west, and this will bring up plenty of moisture, wind, and it appears we will stay on the warmer side of this system, meaning the wetter (vs snowy) side of it.
-Dave