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Overnight we saw over 1/2 inch of ice on trees with over 1.5 inches on the ground.  I woke up to the sound of breaking tree branches in my neighborhood.

It’s far from over.

The changeover to snow is rapidly approaching as of this writing.  Intense snowfall of 1 to 2 iches per hour is anticipated with morning snowfall expected of 2 to as much as 6 inches, even 10 inches is possible well to the northwest of the metro area.  This is additional snowfall!

In addition to this, temperatures will fall to near 20 F solidifying the ice.  When all is said and done 6 to 12 inches of snow and ice will cover the ground.  Standing water will freeze solid. 

Snow and ice clearing will be extremely difficult and may take many days.  I have been saying this will be a crippling and possibly historic storm.  It looks like it will be!

Ron

Sleet and ice accumulations have reached one inch at my location.  Freezing rain has been falling and is weighing down trees and wires.  Another .25 to .6 of ice could accumulate overnight.  If this verifies, tree and power line damage is likely.  A later change-over to snow may result in less snowfall in the last phase of the storm, perhaps only 1 to 3 inches, bringing the storm total to 6 to 9 inches.

This is a very serious situation.  Be prepared for possible power outages and near impossible travel as this storm evolves.

Heavy sleet mixed with freezing rain continues in the Cincinnati metro area.  While icing on trees and wires is minimal so far in western Cincinnati, heavy sleet is building up.  Piles of sleet are accumulating around houses where roof troughs are funneling the sleet onto the ground.  Do not be surprised to find deep piles of sleet in the morning.

Heavy snow appears likely for morning rush hour.  The storm will not wrap up until midday Wednesday.  Heavy precipitation will continue through the night.  A crippling ice storm is ongoing in parts of Kentucky and will likely be spreading into northeast Kentucky.  This storm is beginning to resemble the crippling Christmas storm of a few years ago.  Expect storm total snowfall in Cincinnati of 8 to 12 inches.

Remember that 1 inch of sleet has the same mass as 10 inches of snow and will be very heavy to move, as well as very difficult to clear from roadways.

Ron

 

INZ066-073-074-OHZ070>072-077-280430-
/O.CON.KILN.WS.W.0003.000000T0000Z-090128T1700Z/
FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-HAMILTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…BROOKVILLE…VERSAILLES…
LAWRENCEBURG…HAMILTON…LEBANON…WILMINGTON…CINCINNATI
325 PM EST TUE JAN 27 2009

…WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 PM EST
WEDNESDAY…

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 12 PM EST
WEDNESDAY.

A MIX OF SNOW…SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN WILL CHANGE TO FREEZING
RAIN THIS EVENING. THE WINTRY PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE BACK TO
SNOW EARLY TOMORROW MORNING…AND THEN TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO EAST
TOMORROW AFTERNOON.

TWO TO FOUR TENTHS OF AN INCH OF ICE ACCUMULATION ALONG WITH AN
ADDITIONAL 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW AND SLEET WILL OCCUR OVERNIGHT.
ANOTHER 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED ON WEDNESDAY.

TOTAL SNOW AND SLEET ACCUMULATION FOR THE ENTIRE EVENT WILL BE 8
TO 12 INCHES.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW…
SLEET…AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL
VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.