COLUMBUS, Ohio – Having endured the year’s first snowfall and first spate of subzero temperatures, Columbus-area residents will not be able to enjoy any respite in the coming days.
High temperatures for Friday were recorded early in morning and were forecast to fall. They reading at Port Columbus dropped 7 degrees between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m.
Temperatures were forecast to fall into the single digits by late in the day and another frigid night would follow with lows Saturday morning below zero and wind chill readings between -10 and -20, 10-TV News meteorologist Josh Poland said. A wind chill advisory remained in effect until 1:00 p.m. Saturday for all but the extreme southern and southeastern sections of Ohio. The National Weather Service cautioned wind chills could reach 10 below zero Friday afternoon and 10 to 20 below Friday night and Saturday.
EXTRA: Cold weather safety tips
Poland says Sunday will not be as cold, with highs in the low 30’s, but he predicted some snow and freezing rain Sunday night into Monday.
Plummeting temperatures caused trouble across Ohio Thursday, causing schools to close among other problems.
Firefighters in northeastern Ohio say a barn fire that killed more than a dozen horses may have been started by a space heater being used to thaw frozen pipes. Those battling the blaze near Tallmadge were hindered by temperatures hovering around 3 degrees
Several cities including Cleveland and Toledo opened warming shelters while state officials urged Ohioans to take preventive actions.
The American Red Cross opened a warming shelter in suburban Toledo after 600 customers lost their natural gas service on Thursday.