Rain on Thursday, temperatures dropping on Friday, creating dangerous travel conditions – BG Independent News

Jeff Klein, director of the Wood County Emergency Management Agency, offered the following advice:

The forecast remains steady for rain Thursday, with temperatures as low as 10F Friday morning. Winds of 35-40 mph with gusts as high as 55 mph are expected. NWS Cleveland remains confident travel will be extremely hazardous throughout the day Friday.

Saturday winds will decrease to a minimum of 35 to 45 mph. Temperatures will be in the single digits on Friday and Saturday, and along with the wind, dangerous wind chills are forecast.

Sunday (Christmas) will be dry with winds 12-18 mph and a high of 13F and a low of 4F. We’ll see a burst of balmy 24F highs on Monday with a low of 7F.

There is low confidence in the snowfall from all meteorologists. The general consensus for this event is an average of 4 inches.

Tuesday notes:

Concerns

• Dangerous winds and snow make many roads impassable with whiteouts/blizzards.
• Power lines down due to wind and snow.
• Water line gaps.
• Hazardous windbreaks for those outside or without power and/or heat.
  • Wood County wind chill will be -10F for 36-48 hours.
• Winds will be similar to the Blizzard of 78

Functional items

• As always, check your local weather conditions.
• If you don’t have to leave the house.
  • If you go out and have a problem (accident/slide off the road), have supplies ready to wait several hours or more for a tow truck.
  • Make sure people know where they’re going and estimate arrival time if you don’t.
  • Have a plan to go to (hotel, business, friend) if conditions worsen and you cannot safely proceed.
  • Make sure your destination is open and/or accessible.
• Look out for safe outdoor items, including holiday decorations.
• Prepare for power outages: extra fuel for generators, make sure they start and that anyone using them knows proper and safe operating procedures.
• Have enough food and supplies for the weekend.
• Prepare for your pet’s needs.
• Check your neighbors to make sure they are safe.
• Consider changing travel plans to avoid driving on Friday.

The National Weather Service (NSS) will provide updates on social media during this event. The Wood County EMA will provide updates via email and social media. The main issue will be the combination of dangerous road conditions (high winds on snow) and also extreme cold.

EMA will continue to monitor and update as appropriate.

Posted by: Jan Larson McLaughlin On December 21, 2022