“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt.” — Lewis Carroll, “Through the Looking-Glass”
Old Man Winter ain’t waiting for Christmas to make things white.
Or in the case of north central Ohio, whiter than it already is.
The National Weather Service office in Cleveland has issued a winter weather advisory from Saturday at 1 p.m. to Sunday at 7 a.m. for an area that includes Richland, Ashland and Knox counties.
Snow is expected to begin early Saturday afternoon and then accelerate as the afternoon rolls along, dumping between three to five inches of new stuff before the day and evening are done.
Motorists headed out for weekend Christmas shopping may want to plan accordingly and expect slippery, snow-covered roads, reduced visibility, slower traffic flow and yes, less patience.
Start shopping earlier, end sooner. And keep an eye on the weather.
As one such shopper may have said in seasons past, “I went out Christmas shopping in the snow, and it was so slick the parking lot looked like the Olympic figure-skating finals. … I stuck the landing, but my dignity did not.”
The Ohio Department of Transportation issued a statement “strongly” encouraging motorists to heed any traffic restrictions issued and delay unnecessary travel if and when the snow arrives at the expected volumes.
If the new white stuff wasn’t enough, even colder air is coming behind it.
Wind chills as cold as 10-below zero are expected around daybreak on Sunday and Monday mornings.
