CLEVELAND, Ohio – The time has finally come for snow to appear in the forecast. For the first time this season, the National Weather Service predicts there will be a chance of snow in Cleveland on both Wednesday and Thursday this week.

There was sporadic snow in the forecast in recent days, but it disappeared from the forecast from Sunday night in place of a week of at least 70% cold rain from Tuesday to Friday.

However, as of Monday morning, the National Weather Service is predicting an 80% chance of snow mixed with rain on Wednesday. Conditions will continue until Thursday.

Surface temperatures during this period are expected to range from a low of 35 degrees to a high of 39 degrees, cooler than the air temperatures that will cause snow formation. As the snow falls to the ground, some of it will melt, creating a mix of snow and rain in the forecast.

It also means that there will be little to no snow during the two days.

A National Weather Service meteorologist said Monday that this is about the average time for snow to start falling in the Cleveland area, with a typical start around November 10th and the typical time for an inch of snow around November 23rd.

While not an inch of snow is expected, the mix of snow and rain could help Greater Cleveland emerge from a seven-month stretch of lower than normal precipitation levels. In October, measurable rain fell on only five days, resulting in more than an inch less rain than normal.

For November, 3.37 centimeters of precipitation is normal. Last year, Cleveland saw just 1.94 inches of precipitation during the month.

The pre-snow forecast starts with a 20% chance of rain Monday night with a low of 49 degrees. On Tuesday, temperatures are expected to reach a high of 62 degrees with a 90% chance of rain. The rain is forecast to continue through Wednesday with a high of 58 degrees before dropping to a low of 35 degrees overnight, ushering in conditions for snow.

Zachary Smith is the data reporter for cleveland.com. You can reach him at [email protected].