Cold, cloudy and dry Saturday, heavy snow possible starting Sunday night

Credit: Bill Lackey

Credit: Bill Lackey

There is a Winter Storm Watch in effect across the area from Sunday evening through Tuesday afternoon, issued by the National Weather Service in Wilmington. Heavy snow is possible starting Sunday night, causing difficult and dangerous driving conditions through the next two days. The watch will last from 7 p.m. Sunday to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Today will be cloudy, dry and cold. The area may see a light wind today.

Temperatures today will rise to around 26 degrees, then fall to around 13 degrees overnight with wind chill making temperatures feel like the single digits.

On Sunday, temperatures will reach a high of around 21 degrees. After night falls, chances of snow will quickly rise, becoming likely after dark. Lows will be around 11 degrees, with wind chills pushing down into the single digits. Initial accumulation will be around an inch or so, the NWS reported.

The snow will continue through the day on Monday, though snow chances will dip slightly starting in the morning and pick back up in the afternoon. Monday night snow chances will increase even more, bringing heavier snow before trailing off during the day on Tuesday.

By Monday morning, temperatures could drop as low as 18 degrees, but wind chills will drive the air to feel like 8 degrees. While temperatures may rise as high as 21 degrees, wind chill make the area feel like single digit temperatures for most of the day, AccuWeather reported. Overnight, temperatures may drop to about 12 degrees.

By Monday night, cold temperatures partnered with wind chill will feel as low as -10 degrees, the NWS reported in a hazardous weather outlook.

Anyone who goes outside should be aware of the risks of frostbite and hypothermia, which can set in within minutes if someone isn’t prepared, Kettering Health Network reported.

The NWS said that heavy snow is possible from Sunday night through Tuesday, with total accumulations of 4-8 inches, though it said that exactly how much snow the area will see is unclear. It said with three days until the heaviest snow arrives, the exact timing and locations of this winter storm isn’t certain, but that there is a potential for high snow amounts. AccuWeather predicts accumulation between 3-6 inches.

In any case, the NWS said that travel could be very difficult due to the snow, causing hazardous driving conditions for the morning or evening commute.

The Ohio Department of Transportation even discouraged traveling Monday and Tuesday, and said to plan ahead and follow your local forecast office for updates.

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