Rain, snow, cold arrive into 2022 for Columbus area

QUICK WEATHER FORECAST:

• Tonight: Rain returns, few rumbles, rising temps, low 53
• Saturday: Rain, few rumbles, slowly falling temps, high 57
• Sunday: Early rain showers changing to snow showers, colder, high 36 (and falling)
• Monday: Clearing skies, chilly, high 32
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny, high 43

FORECAST DISCUSSION:

Good Friday Evening,

It has been another very warm day today with highs back in the lower to middle 50s so far, but numbers will slowly tick upward this evening into the overnight hours. Rain showers will start to increase in coverage, and overnight we might have a few isolated rumbles as well, with temps topping in the upper 50s after midnight.

Rain showers will be around through most of the day on Saturday. It does appear the best chances of rain will be before daybreak, and then after midday, but in the morning showers will still be scattered around the area. Temps will fall into the lower 50s during the afternoon, and there is a chance of storms, with the threat mainly south of I-70.

In fact, the Storm Prediction Center has placed the southern part of our area in a marginal risk for strong to severe storms tomorrow afternoon with gusty winds being the main threat. It does appear that most of this threat will be to the south of Ohio and we will be on the northern fringe, but still something to watch Saturday afternoon.

Saturday night rain showers will taper down, but not before plenty of rain falls, with a half inch to an inch north of I-70, and 1-2″ of rain possible south of 70, with some isolated higher totals in the far south/southeast, where flooding might become an issue over the already saturated grounds.

Showers will taper down overnight as temps will be in the lower 40s at midnight Sunday morning, and will fall into the middle 30s by daybreak with rain showers changing to snow showers. Our “daytime high” will be at sunrise, with slowly falling temps Sunday back to around 30 late in the afternoon with snow showers tapering down during the day.

Sunday night will be chilly in the upper to middle teens with partly cloudy skies. Clearing will allow temps to climb to around freezing only on Monday (which is only 5-6°) below normal. We will see a milder day on Tuesday with sunshine and highs in the lower 40s. Clouds increase on Wednesday with temps in the middle to upper 40s ahead of our next strong cold front.

This will bring rain showers overnight Wednesday changing to wet snow on Thursday with highs in the middle 30s. Behind this precip. expect partly sunny skies and a much colder day with morning lows in the mid to upper teens and highs in the middle 20s.

-Dave