Winter Storm Watch: Heavy snow, ice, sleet all possible Sunday-Monday

Updated: 11:18 PM EST Jan 3, 2025

THE HOSPITAL BEING TREATED. ALL RIGHT, BACK TO THE WEATHER STORY. OUR CHIEF METEOROLOGIST, KEVIN ROBINSON. YOU KNOW, WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THIS THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. WE HAVE NOT GOTTEN A WHOLE LOT OF SNOW AROUND HERE. THERE’S A CHANCE THERE’S A CHANCE THAT OVER THE WEEKEND WE MIGHT GET SOME. YEAH, IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE WE’VE GOT, AT THE VERY LEAST, A VERY IMPACTFUL WINTER STORM. REGARDLESS OF WHAT YOU END UP SEEING IN THE END, WHETHER IT BE ALL SNOW, WHETHER IT BE SLEET OR MOSTLY, I THINK SLEET AND SNOW IS OUR ISSUE HERE. I THINK THE REAL SIGNIFICANT ICING SHOULD REMAIN FAR ENOUGH TO OUR SOUTH ACROSS PROBABLY AREAS JUST SOUTH OF THE TRI STATE, BUT WE’VE GOT A WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FOR SUNDAY INTO MONDAY FOR OUR REGION. AND THE REASON WHY? WELL, IT IS QUIET NOW, AS IT WILL BE THROUGHOUT MOST OF THE WEEKEND, BUT WE ARE TRACKING THIS STORM WAY OUT HERE IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TONIGHT, JUST ABOUT TO START COMING ASHORE. AND THIS WILL BE THE ENERGY THAT FUELS EVENTUALLY THE THREAT FOR SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF EITHER SNOW AND ICE AROUND THE REGION. OF COURSE, WE ARE PRIMING THE GROUND RIGHT NOW WITH PLENTY OF COLD TEMPERATURES. IN FACT, WE WON’T MAKE IT ABOVE FREEZING AGAIN UNTIL, WELL, MAYBE A WEEK FROM NOW. EVEN LONGER. I THINK WE’RE BELOW FREEZING FOR A WHILE HERE. WE’RE GOING TO FALL INTO THE DEEP FREEZE FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. SO HERE WE GO. IMPACT WEATHER ALERT DAY SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW AND ICE ANTICIPATED AROUND THE AREA. LET’S SEE HOW THIS PLAYS OUT, BECAUSE IT’S GOING TO BE QUIET TONIGHT. AS I TALKED ABOUT THROUGH SATURDAY. PLENTY OF SUNSHINE OUT THERE TOMORROW A COLD ONE BUT DRY DAY. NO PROBLEM. SATURDAY NIGHT IS QUIET WHEN YOU WAKE UP ON SUNDAY MORNING, IT’S GOING TO BE QUIET OUTSIDE. ALTHOUGH CLOUDS WILL BE BUILDING EARLY SUNDAY MORNING, I THINK IT’S GOING TO BE LATE SUNDAY MORNING SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ABOUT TEN AND NOON. WATCH WHAT HAPPENS HERE. SNOW WILL BEGIN TO PUSH ITS WAY UP THE OHIO RIVER FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST, AND THEN BASICALLY IT WILL PROBABLY SNOW AT A DECENT CLIP FOR SEVERAL HOURS SUNDAY AFTERNOON. BUT KEEP AN EYE ON THIS PINK SHADING HERE, BECAUSE THIS IS WHEN WE’RE LIKELY TO SEE MIXING BEGINNING TO TAKE PLACE ACROSS THE AREA. I THINK SUNDAY EVENING. AND WHILE THIS PINK REPRESENTS A COMPLETE MIX, I THINK EVEN IN THIS BLUE SHADING AREA, WE’RE TALKING A MIX OF SLEET AND SNOW. AND KEEP IN MIND, ANY MIXING OF SLEET TENDS TO CUT DOWN ON THE OVERALL SNOWFALL TOTALS. OKAY, AND I THINK BASICALLY FROM AROUND SOUTHWEST OHIO DOWN INTO NORTHERN KENTUCKY, IT’S A MIXTURE OF SLEET AND SNOW. I THINK PROBABLY FREEZING RAIN EVEN ONCE YOU GET DOWN INTO THE SOUTHERN STRETCHES OF OUR VIEWING AREA. WHERE FROM MAYSVILLE, OVER TOWARDS DRY RIDGE, OWENTON EVEN COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT ACCUMULATIONS OF FREEZING RAIN AND ICE WITH GREATER PROBLEMS AS YOU HEAD SOUTH ALONG I-64. BUT FOR US, I THINK IT’S PRIMARILY A SLEET AND SNOW MIX AROUND HERE. SO WHERE WE STAY, ALL SNOW AND OUR NORTHERN AREAS, NORTHERN PARTS OF FRANKLIN, BUTLER, CLINTON WARREN COUNTIES, I THINK 6 TO 9IN OF SNOW. A GOOD BET IN THIS TRANSITION ZONE. THIS IS WHERE YOU GET THE BIGGEST QUESTION MARK, BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE SLEET WILL CUT DOWN ON SNOWFALL TOTALS. BUT I STILL THINK YOU’VE GOT 3 TO 6IN OF SNOW AND PROBABLY AN INCH TWO, MAYBE THREE OF SLEET. AND I THINK THAT’S WHEN TRAVEL SUNDAY EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND EARLY MONDAY IS IMPACTED THE MOST. IN FACT, TRAVEL MAY BECOME NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE AT SOME POINT SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT AROUND HERE, AND THEN LESS SNOW TO THE SOUTH WHERE YOU HAVE MORE OF A SIGNIFICANT ICING EVENT. ONCE YOU GET DOWN INTO PARTS OF THE BLUEGRASS. SO IT’S COLD OUTSIDE TONIGHT, 24 NORTHWEST BREEZE MAKES IT FEEL LIKE IT’S AROUND 12. WE’RE HEADED DOWN INTO THE TEENS. THERE ARE STILL A FEW PASSING FLURRIES AROUND THE AREA, BUT THEY’RE OF NO REAL CONSEQUENCE FOR THE NIGHT. 17 FOR A LOW, BUT FEELS LIKE SIX IN THE MORNING TOMORROW. COLD SUNSHINE FEELS LIKE IT’S IN THE TEENS ALL DAY. AT LEAST IT’S DRY AND AT LEAST WE HAVE THE SUN, RIGHT? SO WE’LL CREEP OUR WAY UP INTO THE MIDDLE AND UPPER 20S FOR HIGHS. HERE’S A LOOK AT YOUR SEVEN DAY FORECAST. AND THERE YOU HAVE IT, MIKE. THERE’S YOUR WEATHER ALERT DAY SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THE ISSUE HERE IS, IS THAT THAT ICE AND SNOW THAT FALLS WON’T BE GOING ANYWHERE NEXT WEEK. AND THAT JUST KIND OF REINFORCES THE COLD WITH THE SNOW AND ICE ON THE GROUND. AND THOSE TEMPERATURES ARE LIKELY T

ALERT: A winter storm watch in effect from early Sunday to Monday morning.Friday’s brush with some overnight snow showers was just the first brush with winter weather as we head into the weekend.CLOSURES // LIVE RADAR // LATEST WEATHER ALERTSA Winter Storm Watch has been issued for the entire Greater Cincinnati area that will go into effect Sunday morning through Monday evening. Saturday is a one day breather with some sun, temperatures in the 20s and wind chills in the teens. A winter storm takes aim at Greater Cincinnati Sunday into Monday. See breakdown of winter storm timeline Significant travel impacts are expected Sunday afternoon, night and Monday morning. Heavy snow moves in between 10 a.m.-noon Sunday. At some point on Sunday evening into Monday, a wintry mix of sleet and freezing noses in from the south. This cuts back snow totals where that happens, mostly south of the river and throughout the Cincinnati metro. It’s likely that we switch back to snow at some point Monday morning as the system moves out and pick up a couple more inches on top of snow/snow & ice.Totals as of now will be highest along I-70. Six to 9″ of snow looks possible in northern Butler, Warren and Clinton counties — as well as Fayette, Franklin and Union counties in SE IN.Along the Ohio River, 3-6″ of snow and sleet looks possible. South of the 71-75 Split, snow totals are less and more ice is possible. Plan on 1-3″ snow in these communities. All totals are Sunday and Monday combined.Are you prepared for a winter storm? Tips, tricks to stay safe A cold stretch settles in through the first full week of January. By Wednesday, dangerously cold wind chills struggle to make it out of the single digits.WLWT will continue to update this story with the latest forecast details.

CINCINNATI —

ALERT: A winter storm watch in effect from early Sunday to Monday morning.

Friday’s brush with some overnight snow showers was just the first brush with winter weather as we head into the weekend.

CLOSURES // LIVE RADAR // LATEST WEATHER ALERTS

A Winter Storm Watch has been issued for the entire Greater Cincinnati area that will go into effect Sunday morning through Monday evening.

Saturday is a one day breather with some sun, temperatures in the 20s and wind chills in the teens.

A winter storm takes aim at Greater Cincinnati Sunday into Monday.

See breakdown of winter storm timeline

Significant travel impacts are expected Sunday afternoon, night and Monday morning. Heavy snow moves in between 10 a.m.-noon Sunday. At some point on Sunday evening into Monday, a wintry mix of sleet and freezing noses in from the south.

This cuts back snow totals where that happens, mostly south of the river and throughout the Cincinnati metro. It’s likely that we switch back to snow at some point Monday morning as the system moves out and pick up a couple more inches on top of snow/snow & ice.

Totals as of now will be highest along I-70. Six to 9″ of snow looks possible in northern Butler, Warren and Clinton counties — as well as Fayette, Franklin and Union counties in SE IN.

Along the Ohio River, 3-6″ of snow and sleet looks possible. South of the 71-75 Split, snow totals are less and more ice is possible. Plan on 1-3″ snow in these communities. All totals are Sunday and Monday combined.

Are you prepared for a winter storm? Tips, tricks to stay safe

A cold stretch settles in through the first full week of January. By Wednesday, dangerously cold wind chills struggle to make it out of the single digits.

WLWT will continue to update this story with the latest forecast details.