A blast of winter weather that moved through the area Monday and Tuesday caused closings and delays at local schools, as well as two accidents — one of which sent a driver to the hospital.
Slick roads Tuesday morning put Hillsboro City Schools on a two-hour delay, and Lynchburg-Clay Local School District and Bright Local Schools were closed. Greenfield Exempted Village Schools and Fairfield Local Schools did not experience any delays or closings.
Meanwhile, two car accidents in Highland County Tuesday morning were reportedly weather-related.
Sgt. Jeremy Grillot of the Ohio State Highway Patrol Wilmington Post told The Times-Gazette that a rollover wreck, apparently caused by slick roads, sent a driver to the hospital.
Grillot said the vehicle was driving southbound on SR 138 in Liberty Township when it slid off the right side of the road, struck an embankment and overturned.
According to Grillot, the driver was transported to Highland District Hospital with unknown injuries.
The other accident, which occurred on U.S. Route 50 near SR 134, was similar to the other but did not result in any injuries, Grillot said. The vehicle in that accident slid off the road and struck a ditch, the sergeant said.
Grillot reminded area drivers that they should use caution when driving in wintry conditions.
“We’re getting back into the winter season, so everybody needs to remember to increase their following distance, slow down and add more time to their trips,” he said. “That’s the general word we try to put out in the wintertime. Get back to remembering to do all that.”
Jeffrey Sites, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Wilmington, said rain that turned to snow Monday afternoon put moisture on the roads, and when temperatures dropped below freezing Monday night, the moisture froze and slick conditions began.
“With the snow showers adding a little bit more in the way of accumulation on the roadway, it made for some slick travel,” he said.
According to Sites, the weather event was caused by a low-pressure system moving through the area on Monday which transitioned into lake-effect snow showers later in the day and into the overnight hours.
Sites said forecasters call for a warming trend as the week progresses, with temperatures rising from around 30 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday to the upper 50s on Saturday.
But, the warmer weather comes at a cost. Expect showers on Thursday and Friday and “pretty much steady rain” all day Saturday, Sites said.
While Highland County swings back from one of its first winter weather events this week, the worst is likely yet to come: Winter doesn’t even start until Friday, Dec. 21.
Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570.
