Abrubt weather changes have caused havoc for area street crews and as frigid temperatures return later this week, more could be expected.

A water main break on Rubicon Road just north of the intersection with Schantz Avenue on Saturday drained more than one-third of Oakwood’s water tower and almost swallowed a city vehicle before it was brought under control.

A rapid thaw and warmup, age of the pipe and a deteriorated drainage ditch below it combined to cause the rupture, said Kevin Weaver, the city’s director of engineering and public works.

After crews were dispatched to diagnose the problem, two workers who turned onto Rubicon from Schantz almost ended up in a hole that opened when the street gave way beneath their truck, Weaver said.

“Only their rear wheels fell in. It would have been a lot worse the other way around,” said Weaver, who added that a tow truck with a crane attachment was needed to extricate the truck, which received minor damage.

Cracks in another water main caused a second leak that was discovered Sunday about a mile away on East Thruston Boulevard in Oakwood. Repairs were completed by 3 a.m. Monday.

Work on Rubicon “will take until the end of the week,” Weaver said. No residents are without water, but some will briefly be without service when the permanent change is finished and flow is reconnected.

“This break was highly unusual. The usual path of least resistance is up and out. This one was pouring down into the storm sewer. By the time we got to it, one-third of Oakwood’s million and a half-gallon water tank was gone.”

Another abrupt weather change is coming.

Storm Center 7 Meteorologist Rich Wirdzek said heavy rain and possible thunderstorms were expected to hit the area before sunrise Wednesday and the rain will continue through the day.

“The potential is there for some higher wind gusts, and even a few spots with a damaging wind gust,” he said. “However, this will not be a widespread severe weather event.” He said the severe weather threat is greater to the south and west of Ohio.

The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a severe weather outlook alert stating the risk of severe thunderstorms exists for Arkansas, northern Texas, northern Louisiana, parts of Tennessee and Missouri. Tornadoes are possible, according to the outlook.

The storms are the result of a strong cold front moving across the country. After the front passes through Wednesday morning, temperatures will fall quickly.

“We’ll go from near 60 in the morning, into the 40s for the afternoon and into the 30s by evening,” Wirdzek said. “Leftover rain showers will eventually change into snow showers late.”

Sub-freezing temperatures will return by Wednesday night and last through the weekend.