Enquirer Carrie Blackmore Smith takes you on a sledding tour in the Cincinnati area. Carrie Blackmore Smith and Cameron Knight/The Enquirer Cameron Knight/The Enquirer
Get the essentials now because snow is on its way.
Here's what to expect and when
A Winter Storm Warning was in effect until 10 a.m. Saturday for Clinton and Highland counties in Ohio and Decatur County in southeastern Indiana.
All other counties across the Greater Cincinnati area were under a Winter Weather Advisory until 10 a.m. Saturday.
Updated Saturday, 8:30 a.m.
Most of the Tristate is waking up Saturday to anywhere from about 2 to 3.5 inches of snow, temperatures in the mid-teens and wind chills as low as minus 5 degrees.
Those heading out Saturday morning will find most main streets have been cleared, but some lanes on Interstate 71 and 75 in the northern suburbs are still partially snow-covered, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
So far, there are no major crashes or delays on area highways and main routes.
More snow is likely as soon as Monday, with between 1 to 3 inches possible. Otherwise, it will be cloudy with a high temperature around 28 degrees.
Saturday
- The morning low will be about 15. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 20. North wind 9 to 14 mph.
Saturday Night
- Partly cloudy, with a low around 8. North wind 5 to 7 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Sunday
- Sunny, with a high near 23. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Sunday Night
- Mostly cloudy, with a low around 15.
Monday
- Snow likely, mainly after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 33. Chance of precipitation is 70 percent.
Monday Night
- Snow likely, mainly before 11 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 6. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
Closings and alerts
The Cincinnati Police Department is currently under its emergency accident reporting procedure. Motorists involved in an accident where vehicles are movable should respond to the nearest police district to make the report.
The University of Cincinnati has announced it will remain closed through Saturday because of road conditions.
Weather also impacts high school sports with plenty of schedule changes announced for Friday night. To see what games are canceled or rescheduled, visit high school sports on Cincinnati.com.
- The Walnut Hills entrance exam that was initially scheduled for Jan. 13 has been postponed until Jan. 20 due to the forecast, officials said on Thursday.
- University of Cincinnati will be closing at noon
- Thomas More College will close at noon
- The Newport Aquarium will be closing at 4 p.m.
- A snow emergency has been declared in Lakeside Park, Kentucky effective 3 p.m. Friday. All vehicles must be removed from city streets by no later than 7 p.m.
The YMCA of Greater Cincinnati is canceling all classes and programs – including an early release at all child care centers – at 4 p.m. The Highland County YMCA close at four; other branches of the Y will remain open.
The monthly Kenton County cleanup event scheduled for Saturday has been canceled. The crews responsible for the monthly cleanup are the same crews responsible for snow removal.
In the event of accumulating ice or snow, Metro service will be available but detours and delays may be possible throughout the service area. Metro's Cincy EZAlerts allows riders to sign up to receive alerts about detours, service interruptions, etc. by text or email for specific routes.
Riders can also use real-time bus tracking apps such as Transit App or Metro's desktop Transit Tracker to track their bus in real-time on the map.
What about the roads?
Because the approaching weather system begins with rain, spokesman Brian Cunningham said Ohio Department of Transportation District 8, is not pretreating roads. District 8 covers seven Southwestern Ohio counties, including Hamilton.
To check if the street has been plowed in Cincinnati visit the Cincy Insights snow plow tracker. The data is updated every 10 minutes with what streets have been cleared during winter weather. The page also has a priority tracker and live traffic to keep users up to date on what will be plowed next and what areas are having issues.
Kentucky crews will be reporting in at their usual 7:30 a.m. start time.
"We are getting our arsenal ready," Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 6 spokeswoman Nancy Wood said.
They have 25,000 tons of salt, a full force of 136 trucks including state and contractors, she said. The district includes over 4,600 lane miles of state routes and interstates in an 11-county region.
More: Are you on the list? Tristate communities declare snow emergencies ahead of winter storm
Representatives with Cincinnati Department of Public Services said crews reported in at 7 a.m. on Friday. Residents are also encouraged to consider utilizing off-street parking so that crews can clear residential streets as quickly as possible, representatives said.
The Indiana Department of Transportation announced that it is scheduling a full call-out of plow trucks throughout the Southeast District. In the Aurora area, 31 trucks will be deployed.
In the event of accumulating ice or snow, Metro service will be available but detours and delays may be possible throughout the service area, a news release said. Metro also said buses cannot stop safely on snowy or icy hills. Customers should board at the top or bottom of hills.
To track Metro service, call the Detour Hotline at 632-7538 or the call center at 621-4455.
What else do I need to know?
More: Where's the snowplow? Don't get angry online. It's right here.
More: Don't leave your car running when you're not in it. It's illegal and may get stolen
More: Police rescue of dog from Kentucky lake a reminder to keep pets safe this winter
More: It’s cold. School is canceled. What now?
More: Deep freeze: Water mains, fires and frozen pipes, oh my
Accessing shelter
Kim Webb, executive director of the Emergency Shelter of Northern Kentucky, said the shelter will likely open early due to the weather.
The shelter, located at 634 Scott St. in Covington, normally runs 6 p.m. to 9 a.m., but during colder and inclement weather hours can change.
Webb said the shelter will try to make sure no one is turned away. Next week, when temperatures drop again, the shelter will work to provide 24-hour access to keep people out of the cold. Call 859-291-4555 for hours and more information.
In Cincinnati, the Winter Shelter operated by Shelterhouse opens when other shelters are at capacity and the weather hits 32 degrees.
The shelter, located at 411 Gest St., is open 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for men and women over 18 years old. Call the hotline at 721-0642 or 513-381-SAFE.