No one could blame Punxsutawney Phil today if he emerges from his burrow this morning, takes one look at the weather forecast and dives back into his hole for another six weeks.
Not even a woodchuck on Groundhog Day in Pennsylvania will enjoy the next 48 hours across much of the United States.
The National Weather Service office in Cleveland officially issued a winter storm warning for Richland and Ashland counties on Wednesday, a designation proffered just after 4 a.m.
The warning, which added the two counties to a long list already occupied by Crawford County, is in effect from Wednesday at 10 p.m. until Friday at 7 a.m.
North central Ohio is looking at a mixed bag of heavy precipitation that will begin Wednesday morning as rain with an expected high temperature of 39 degrees.
As a rainy day fades into a rainy night, temperatures will drop and the precipitation will change to snow around 11 p.m. as the massive winter storm spreads a mess of snow, sleet and freezing rain from the Rockies to the Plains, Midwest and parts of the Northeast through Friday.
The storm is bring fueled by a stream of arctic air roaring in on the jet stream from the western and central U.S. merging with moisture coming up from the Gulf of Mexico.
So … the million dollar question … how much snow will we see locally before the storm moves on through Friday morning?
Again, it depends on to whom you ask the question.
The NWS predicts seven to 12 inches of snow and ice accumulations of a light glaze, accompanied by winds of 30 mph that will lead to drifting and blowing white stuff.
The Weather Channel predicts seven to 14 inches of snow with somewhat lighter winds.
The heaviest snow is expected Wednesday night through Thursday. Snowfall rates may exceed one inch per hour at times, according to the NWS.
If you must travel during the storm, keep an extra flashlight, food, and water in your vehicle in case of an emergency.
Stay with Richland Source during the storm for updated information.
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