COLUMBUS, Ohio – Wintry weather that blasted into Ohio overnight closed dozens of schools and made driving conditions treacherous for the morning rush hour.
UPDATE: Level I snow emergencies in Delaware, Licking, Fairfield, Pickaway, Union counties.
Central and southwestern Ohio counties remain under a winter storm warning until 1:00 a.m. Saturday.
A messy mix of freezing rain and sleet was falling in central and southwestern Ohio Thursday morning, expected to change to snow in the afternoon. Forecasters expect 4 to 7 inches in some parts of the state (see map).
In central Ohio, snow will continue into the early evening, accumulating around 3 to 6 inches in Columbus with higher amounts to the northwest and lesser amounts to the southeast.
Underneath the snow, ice accumulations could be as high as a quarter inch in some areas and temperatures will fall into the teens overnight and overnight lows could fall into single digits next week.
Some canceled flights were reported Friday morning at the airport in Columbus.
Crews were activated for treating roads before Friday’s commute. The Ohio Department of Transportation had more than 120 crews salting interstates and U.S. and state routes throughout Central Ohio and planned to have them on duty overnight, ODOT District 6 spokeswoman Nancy Burton said.
The City of Columbus planned to have 72 crews salting state Routes 33, 104 and 315, arterial streets and school routes through Friday evening, Service Department spokesman Rick Tilton said.
The storm that hit central Ohio early Friday morning dumped up to two feet of snow in parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin and draped many communities in skin-stinging cold. Winter storm and ice warnings are in effect through much of today for parts Ohio and five other states, including Texas, Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
Temperatures in Montana and Idaho have fallen below minus 25 degrees.