COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Franklin County and several others have been upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning. Winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories remain in effect across the majority of Central Ohio until midnight tonight.

Several inches of snow have already fallen across portion of the metro area. Reports of heavier snow are coming in from counties south of the I-70 corridor. As a reference the NBC4 studios on Olentangy River Rd had already received 3.5 inches as snow as of 5 am.

Far southern counties will continue to experience freezing rain on top of the heavy snow early Monday, where ice accumulation will be close to a tenth of an inch. A more serious ice storm has moved south of the Ohio River into northern parts of West Virginia and Kentucky. This, along with the weight of the snow, may bring down some branches and power lines.

The snow will become lighter late Monday morning, but there will be lingering bands on the northwestern edge of the winter storm moving to the Mid-Atlantic Coast, with additional accumulations of 3 to 6 inches near and south of I-70. A couple more inches are expected closer to the city center. Light snow showers will persist north of I-70 until early evening, as winds increase, resulting in some blowing and drifting.

The National Weather Service Weather Prediction Center uses a tool called the Winter Storm Severity Index to illustrate the impacts of winter weather. Areas near and south of Columbus can expect moderate to major impacts, which typically disrupt daily life and could lead to significant traffic delays and potential school closings.

North of the Columbus area will still see comparatively minor impacts, though slick roads and blowing snow will be a problem.

Skies will finally begin to clear on Tuesday, but another rush of arctic air will settle into Central Ohio through the end of the week.

Follow this link to stay with Storm Team 4’s updated forecasts throughout the weekend on NBC4i.com and the Storm Team 4 weather app in anticipation of this winter storm. You can also follow the latest traffic conditions, school closings, and LIVE VIPIR radar on NBC4i.com and the NBC4 news app.