AEP community affairs provided The Icon with the following weather information for Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 1-2.
More Significant Ice Accumulations Expected Tonight for AEP Ohio Band of 3/4" Ice Totals Expected from North of Columbus to CantonBlizzard For Portions of I&M Power and NW Ohio (8-15" Isolated 18")
Tonight and Wednesday
Major ice accumulations are expected through tonight with 3/4" (localized 1") total accumulations from the Northern Columbus, Northern Newark and Northern Canton Districts. Total ice accumulations for the Southern Muncie District have been increased to 1/2"-3/4" for early this morning through early tonight. Heavy snow accumulations of 8-15" with isolated 18" amounts are still expected for northern Indiana, Southern Michigan, and far northwest Ohio tonight and into Wednesday.
The first area of precipitation has fallen more in the form of freezing rain this morning with Columbus, Muncie, Marion, Mansfield seeing around 1/4" of ice so far. Additional sleet and freezing rain will arrive late this afternoon and tonight as the storm tracks just north of Columbus.
Freezing rain will once again spread across central Indiana, and central Ohio by late this afternoon and early tonight. Additional ice accumulations of 1/2" are now expected for the northern Columbus, northern Newark, and northern Canton Districts.
On top of the 1/4" ice that has already fallen...storm totals of 3/4" (localized 1") are now being forecast. This includes the cities of Powell, Marion, Mansfield and Canton. The City of Columbus will see additional 1/4" ice accumulations (1/4"-1/2" totals). Temperatures in the heaviest freezing rain band will probably rise to near or above freezing after the main area of freezing rain moves in...especially for Columbus and Canton where it will change to all rain after midnight tonight as temperatures rise into the mid-30s.
Areas north of the heaviest freezing rain band will stay below freezing for the entire duration of the event....including the Muncie and Western Ohio Districts.
These districts will see the freezing rain turn to snow after midnight. Temperatures will fall through the 20s and teens on Wednesday with sustained winds increasing to 25-30 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Temperatures will not rise above freezing until Saturday when highs are
expected to reach the mid-30s.
I&M Power and northwest Ohio will see blizzard conditions tonight and Wednesday. Temperatures across northern Indiana and Michigan will range from 15-21F degrees keeping the snow on the dry side. From Fort Wayne south...sleet will mix in at times limiting snow accumulations. Winds late tonight and Wednesday are expected to be sustained at 25-30 mph and gusting 40 mph blizzard.
Low temperatures Wednesday night are expected to fall into the single digits across Michigan, Indiana, and Northern Ohio with around 10F for Columbus.
