A much colder start this morning with temperatures in the 20s. Keep the winter coat handy today as highs will struggle to reach the freezing mark under mostly cloudy skies. A breezy northwest wind will make it feel more like the teens and 20s.
A chance of scattered, light snow will creep into the area after midnight into the morning hours of Thursday. Light amounts under 0.5" will be possible, especially south of town. Keep in mind some areas will miss out on this first wave, especially if you are north.
The "main event" will work in after 4PM Thursday, just in time for a slippery evening commute. A burst of mainly snow is expected initially, then the mixing line will creep up to around Lima during the night. Areas south of Lima will see more sleet and freezing rain, while areas north of town should see mainly snow. Lima will see mainly a snow and sleet mix with minimal freezing rain.
AMOUNTS: This is not going to be a major event by any means, but more of a nuisance to travel. The northern half of the area is expected to receive 2-4" of snow where mixing will be minimal. The Lima area should see the lower end of the range with sleet cutting into the potential snow. Much less snow as you head south. In fact, this may only be a sleet and freezing rain scenario once you reach Sidney and Bellefontaine with 0.1"+ of ice potential there.
CONFIDENCE: There is lower than normal confidence regarding the amounts with this system. There is a risk for convection to the south to eat away at our available moisture. If that ends up more of an issue, that 2-4" could end up only at 1-2". Our forecast is a "middle-ground" of the higher and lower solutions.
IMPACTS: It doesn't matter where you are or how much falls, roadways will be slick and hazardous Thursday evening through Friday morning. Plan ahead and allow extra time to reach your destination. Those roads will improve Friday as the precipitation quickly exits.
A quiet weather pattern is expected for the weekend through a large part of next week. The chilly pattern will eventually give way to milder weather as next week progresses.
