March is Roaring in!!!!

Winter Recap 

We all know it has been cold and snowy, but how cold and how snowy?!?

This winter is currently in 3rd place for the snowiest winters on record and we stand just 3" away from second place and ~15" away from 1st place!

Columbus also had the first winter ever with 3 consecutive months with 12"+ of snow (dec.-feb.) and we certainly have the potential to add a 4th month to that list. Just last year we had 12" of snow in March and it looks to do that again this year. 

We also have had three months of below normal tenperatures with December ending just below normal, but January and February will go down as some of the coldest consecutive months in Columbus, both averaging between 6-8 degrees below normal for THE ENTIRE MONTH! 

Upcoming Storm

There will be a long-duration snow/ice event starting this Friday night and lasting on and off all the way through Monday afternoon! The snow and ice amounts are still far from set in stone but I will say that many models are showing between 6"-15" of snow and/or .25"-1.25" of ice. The amount of snow and ice will depend on the eventual track of the storms and just how much warm air can be pulled north into the storm, however, I am leaning more toward a mainly snow event with minor sleet and ice accumulations. The amount of time we spend mixing or changing over to ice/sleet will greatly impact the final snow totals. 

The duration of this storm will be a major issue as well with minor snow coming in Friday night and Saturday morning followed by a brief break before the bigger storm arrives for Saturday night through Monday afternoon. This length of time will make it more expensive for city's and states to keep roads clear and could be a huge hit to the local budgets, not to mention the nationwide salt shortage! 

It is going to be early March so the sun angle will help melt snow off the roads and maximize the effectiveness of salt, however, the downside to late season snow is the weight of the snow. This storm will have very heavy and wet snow which will be hard to lift and plow and could bring down some tree limbs. Any damage to trees should be isolate unless we get 1/4" of ice or more. 

When Will the Cold End?!? 

Well this has been the question of the winter and with spring nearing and sports starting, more people want to know when it will finally get warm! The short answer to the question is that the cold will not be ending any time soon and we could be heading into the coldest March since 1996 and it won't come without snow. Current indications show the potential for more subzero nights well into the first half of March along with the possibility of wind chills dropping back to as low as 15-25 below zero around March 5-10. Temperatures and wind chills of that magnitude would be unheard of and would certainly set records for the day and possibly all time coldest March temperatures. These conditions could start to harm plants as they emerge for spring as well. At this time we are likely to see below normal temperatures all the way through, at least, the third week of March. Don't lose hope yet, we can't stop spring from coming and it will get warm eventually! For now, just accept the cold and snow and remember we are living through one of the coldest and snowiest winters on record! 

MORE SNOW DAYS?!?! 

I know some people, especially school administrators, are getting tired of snow days, but I do not think we have seen the last of our snow days this year. Because it is March and the sun angle is much stronger, having more than one day off of school at a time does not appear likely, but next Monday is looking more and more like another day off for many schools in central and northern Ohio. This will push most suburbs in Franklin County to their 8th snow day and could push Columbus schools to 9+ days off this year! Since the snow will be heavy and wet, road crews will have a hard time pushing the snow off the roads and clearing parking lots, this will most likely mean more parking spots covered under mountains of snow for a few more weeks. 

I will update you as more information comes in and let you know when any watches, warnings or advisories are issued.