Jennifer Edwards Baker reports:
The official start of spring is about a week away, but winter is not relinquishing its hold over our region anytime soon.
Snow showers fell on and off overnight and will continue today.
Morning snowfall was heavy in spurts and reduced visibility to a half mile or less in a short period of time, the National Weather Service in Wilmington said. That development created hazardous driving conditions especially for motorists traveling at higher rates of speed on interstates,
Northbound Interstate 71 at Stewart Road was closed for nearly an hour because of slick roads and a disabled truck, before it was reopened before 7:30 a.m.
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Slick spots on roads, bridges and overpasses caused trouble for dozens of motorists on their morning commutes. Accidents began piling up about 5:30 a.m. in Colerain Township on eastbound Interstate 275 near Colerain Avenue, where three cars spun out, emergency communication reports indicated.
Icy road conditions also were reported in Green Township at Harrison Avenue and Rybolt Road.
A section of Shawnee Run Road was closed in Indian Hill about 7 a.m. as a result of icy conditions and a handful of vehicles that slid off the road.
Several accidents were reported on the bridge from Eastbound Interstate 275 at the Indiana and Kentucky border this morning.
Salt crews from the state and other government agencies handled several service calls this morning, emergency communications reports indicated.
The tricky weather conditions have also caused some school delays or class cancellations today.
A trace of snow was officially recorded overnight at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, according to the National Weather Service.
Less than a half inch is expected to accumulate by tonight.
It’s 32 degrees with wind chills in the low 20s.
We have a frigid day ahead with the mercury struggling to climb to 35 degrees with wind chills remaining in the 20s, said meteorologist Scott Hickman.
The overnight low tonight will plunge to 23 with wind chills in the teens.
A gradual warm-up will begin Thursday as the sun makes a welcome return. The high temperature should finally break the 40-degree mark, but a chance for rain and snow will creep back in before 11 p.m.
Overnight, that precipitation has a 30 percent chance of switching to all snow. A scant amount – less than a tenth of an inch of accumulation – is possible, though.
Friday’s high temperature should soar to 54 degrees under partly sunny skies.
More rain could fall Friday night into Saturday, stopping around noon. It will be mostly cloudy with a high of 53.
Saturday night and Sunday could bring another round of snow showers and rain. It will be mostly cloudy with a high of 45.
Enquirer Reporter Bowdeya Tweh contributed to this report.
