Cold front approaching area with temperatures expected to drop drastically.

12/29/2013
BLADE STAFF

Bitterly cold weather is expected later today and early Monday morning in portions of northwest Ohio, including Williams, Fulton, Defiance, Henry, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, and Allen counties as well as counties in southeastern Michigan.

According to the National Weather Service a cold front is expected to move through today and the temperature could drop drastically between 4 and 8 p.m.

RELATED: The Blade weather page

Rain showers are also expected and as the temperature drops the rain could turn to drizzle and possibly snow.

The cold conditions will continue Monday through Wednesday morning.

Hazardous weather conditions include wind chill temperatures ranging from near zero to 10 below zero Fahrenheit in the overnight hours.

Cold conditions are expected to continue through Wednesday morning with Monday and Tuesday afternoon wind chill readings from near zero to 10 above zero.

A winter storm could develop Wednesday night through Thursday, affecting the Ohio Valley and southern Great Lakes areas, but no snowfall forecasts have yet to be made.

The bitter cold comes blasting in following mild temperatures that enticed golfers on Saturday to area courses. Skaters slushed through thawing ice, and some area residents donned shorts and T-shirts as they shopped and ran other errands.