COLUMBUS, Ohio – Whatever the groundhogs predict Monday morning, winter will still hold central Ohio in its grasp if the more scientific forecasters are accurate with their short-term outlooks.
A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for Franklin , Madison and Licking counties from midnight Sunday through 7:00am Monday.
WBNS 10-TV Doppler 10 meteorologist Erin Carroll says snow showers will begin to move into much of Ohio around 11:00 p.m. Saturday. Accumulations of approximately 1 inch can be expected by Sunday morning.
Snow will mixing with sleet or rain in the afternoon with the heaviest snow falling during the afternoon and evening hours.
Snow will taper off overnight with 3 to 6 inches of accumulation possible along and north of I-70 and 1 to 3 inches south of Columbus, Carroll said.
Monday morning road conditions could be very hazardous with blowing and drifting snow and refreezing, said Carroll.
Ohio Department of Transportation garages will be on duty starting Sunday at 12:01 Sunday morning, prepared to salt and plow roads as needed, ODOT spokeswoman Nancy Burton said.
Columbus city crews will be testing the addition of a color tint to road salt applied to some streets, allowing the salt to be easily seen and providing crews with a way to track applications (see right), according to a spokeswoman for the public service department.
The product, Liquitint, will be used on some of the collector and residential streets south of Morse Road, north of Fifth Avenue, east of Olentangy River Road, and west of Waggoner Road.