A WINTER STORM WATCH is in effect for most of the Miami Valley beginning Friday morning, and continuing through Saturday afternoon.  The National Weather Service issued this watch late Thursday.  People have been emailing/calling in with questions as to why this watch was issued so early?  Well, the models have been very consistant in bringing a little ice, and a significant amount of snow to the area.  So confidence is high we’ll see icy and slick conditions, bringing about a high impact on travel conditions.  Travel through the area Friday morning through Saturday morning will be difficult.  Be sure to bookmark our SCHOOL CLOSINGS AND DELAYS website so you can stay up-to-date on the latest information for Friday.

We even have a few school delays THIS morning, mainly in the Northeastern Miami Valley.  This is due to fog across the area, reducing visibilities.  And it’s not only fog… but freezing fog!  Freezing fog is basically just fog… with temperatures below freezing!  It’s significant to note, because with all the low-level moisture… we typically will see slick conditions develop, and black ice is possible.  Today’s freezing fog will burn off as we head later into the morning hours.

We should see a little sunshine between the clouds today before the clouds thicken up this afternoon.  Highs will be warmer than yesterday, with readings in the upper 30s.  If you have evening plans, it will still be dry across the area, with any wintry weather holding off until the overnight hours.

After 2am or so, we will begin to see some freezing rain or snow move in, and it will stick around through the morning commute.  Give yourself plenty of time to get where you’re going Friday morning:

Roughly north of I-70, there will be a faster change-over to all snow, and a gradual change-over for the southern counties.  During the late afternoon and into the overnight, we’ll continue with steady moderate snow… keeping poor travel conditions with us through early Saturday.

Friday’s snowfall accumulation should generally be in the range of 2 to 4 inches… mostly likely in the North.  Where the switch over to snow happens a bit later (in the south)… we could end up with less.  But additional snowfall is likely Friday night/Saturday.  Storm totals could be even higher over PARTS of the Miami Valley, up to 6 inches.   The rain/snow line will be the determining factor on how much snow you see in your neighborhood.  Here’s a look at one of our models… showing the rain/snow transition line in PURPLE.  You can see it progress southward, as the storm pulls in colder air:

We will continue to keep you updated as the storm moves closer… and let you know what the latest trends are.  Again, a slight shift in the storm’s path… by as little as 50 miles… could mean more or less snow for the area.  Stay tuned…

Jamie