43
Valley in store for up to 2 feet of snow this week
By Elise Franco
Youngstown
Meteorologists are now predicting that up to 2 feet of snow could be dumped on some parts of the Mahoning Valley between today and Tuesday.
Tina Pietrondi, a meteorologist with 21 WFMJ-TV, said the storm will start off slow, with just 1 to 3 inches expected tonight.
Heavy snow will begin to fall Monday, leaving 6 to 8 inches on Trumbull and Mercer counties, 4 to 6 inches on Mahoning and Lawrence counties and 2 to 4 inches on Columbiana County.
Pietrondi said by the time the storm begins to taper off on Wednesday, Trumbull and Mercer counties could have up to 2 feet of snow, with more in some centralized areas.
Mahoning and Lawrence counties could finish with one to 11/2 feet, and Columbiana could see between six and 12 inches.
“Monday and Tuesday will be the bulk of the heavy snow,” she said. “The totals are subject to change, of course, because of the lake effect.”
Pietrondi said she wouldn’t be surprised if the National Weather Service’s five-county winter weather watch, through Wednesday, turned into a winter weather warning before the storm’s end.
A watch means significant weather is expected, but not imminent. A warning means significant weather is occurring, imminent, or likely, and is a threat to life and property.
A quarter-inch to half-inch of rain is expected to precede the snowstorm during the day today, Pietrondi said.
“The amount of rain expected did change a little bit.” she said. “It’s a lot for any time of year.”
The rain, which she said will begin to mix with snow by late afternoon, combined with high winds and dropping temperatures, could make for dangerous driving conditions.
The NWS predicts highs in the upper 30s through this afternoon with a low of 18 overnight. Wind gusts could reach up to 40 miles per hour after midnight.
Highs for Monday through Wednesday are expected to be in the high teens and low 20s, with overnight lows between 10 and 15 degrees.
“With that type of weather, what is crucial is that the roads are treated,” she said.
Pietrondi said if the temperature of the pavement drops below freezing, any wet spots or pools of rainwater will likely turn to ice.
“It will make for a thin layer,” she said. “But as long as the roads are salted beforehand, it should be all right.”
As of early Saturday night, 29.9 inches of snow had fallen on the Mahoning Valley, as measured by the National Weather Service at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. That total is a record high for December in the Valley.
Weather service records date back to 1934.