As slightly warmer weather moves into Columbus, the piles of snow outside will likely take all week to melt — and that gradualness would be a good thing.

Why it matters: Under the right conditions, heavy snowfall followed by a quick warmup can lead to dangerous flooding that further stresses infrastructure.

Melting the news: We're into the second half of a challenging winter.

• The heaviest snow event of the last decade, followed by weeks of freezing temperatures, means it hasn't gone away.

Plus: Freezing conditions have resulted in water mains bursting throughout the city, a separate issue altogether.

• It's been an abnormally challenging winter for the city's 3,600 miles of pipes, Columbus Department of Public Utilities spokesperson George Zonders tells Axios.
• Crews are working weekends and adding private contractors to assist with repairs.

State of play: So with a relatively balmy week ahead, is thawing going to be a problem?

• "The conditions are pretty favorable for a gradual snow melt," Columbus Division of Water Reclamation assistant administrator Paul Wilson tells Axios.

Early weather forecasts indicated a chance for multiple warm, rainy days in a row this week, which would have created huge amounts of water in a short period of time — ideal flooding conditions.

• But the rain has largely disappeared from projections, and the warmth appears more incremental.

Context: Last summer's drought conditions (still leaving some of Central Ohio abnormally dry) are helping stave off winter flooding.

• Wilson says soil moisture is lower than normal, which will help absorb the water.
• Meanwhile, the Scioto River sits around 5 feet deep as of yesterday — Wilson says "minor flooding" doesn't begin until around 24 feet.

The bottom line: Dangerous conditions aren't likely this week, but they're very plausible under the right circumstances.

• "It's a pretty bad scenario, where you have a big heavy snow and then it turns into 65 degrees the next day with heavy rain," Wilson says. "That's kind of the worst case scenario."

📲 What you can do: Blocked drains causing problems on busy streets can be reported to the Sewer Maintenance Operations Center via 311 or its 24/7 emergency line, 614-645-7102.

A wave of bomb threats hit Columbus yesterday morning, targeting over 30 elementary schools, the Statehouse and the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, according to news reports.

The big picture: The hoax messages came around the same time that suspicious packages and threats referencing Haitians shut down schools and other buildings Monday in nearby Springfield.

• Gov. Mike DeWine called the situation "a despicable act."

Catch up quick: Springfield has a sizable population of Haitian immigrants.

• Last week, officials were preparing for a surge of immigration enforcement as the Trump administration ended Haiti's Temporary Protected Status — but a last-minute ruling kept the status in place for now.
• The city also experienced threats in 2024, after President Trump spread baseless claims that Haitians were eating household pets.

Zoom in: The FBI is investigating all of yesterday's threats, and it's not clear yet if the Columbus messages were related.

What they're saying: Threatening emails to Columbus City Schools did not mention "immigration in any form, nor Haitians," spokesperson Michael Brown tells Axios.

⚖️ Jason Meade's retrial for the murder of Casey Goodson Jr. has been rescheduled, beginning with jury selection April 20. (WBNS-TV)

🏛️ Senate Democrats are preparing to introduce multiple pieces of legislation targeted at regulating data centers. (Statehouse News Bureau)

• They also plan to introduce bills regulating ICE's presence in Ohio. (Ohio Capital Journal)

🏥 Cardinal Health, based in Dublin, has hit record profits, revenues and stock prices. (Columbus Business First 🔒)

🦌 Ohio hunters checked more than 230,000 deer this hunting season, with nearby Licking and Knox counties landing in the top 10. (Dispatch)

🏈 A total of 34 former Buckeyes have won the Super Bowl following Sunday's Seahawks win. (Eleven Warriors)

The Weinland Park murders are getting more national attention, now featured on the latest episode of the ABC News Studio series "Impact x Nightline."

Zoom in: The 28-minute episode recaps the circumstances surrounding the Dec. 30 killings of Spencer and Monique Tepe, plus recent developments after the arrest of Monique's ex-husband, Michael McKee.

The latest: In court documents, police allege McKee, who lived in Illinois, stalked the couple's Columbus home weeks before they were found shot to death inside it.

• A recent autopsy report says the couple had a combined 16 gunshot wounds.
• McKee pleaded not guilty in late January to aggravated murder and burglary charges.
• He is being held at the Franklin County Jail as the case makes its way through court.

How to watch: The episode is streaming now on Hulu or Disney+.

Sweethearts conversation hearts — the chalky Valentine's Day staple — are debuting new phrases in 2026 to reflect how inflation and high living costs are reshaping romance.

The big picture: "Being practical is having a moment," said Evan Brock, vice president of marketing for Northwest Ohio-based Spangler Candy Company, the maker of Sweethearts.

• "SPLIT RENT," "SHARE LOGN," "CAR POOL," "BUY N BULK" and "COOK FOR 2" are among the new sayings.
• Classics like "CUTIE PIE" and "MARRY ME" will fill the Sweethearts boxes, too.

The intrigue: In a Sweethearts survey of 2,000 people (half Gen Z; half Millennial), 80% said the economy is impacting their Valentine's Day plans.

Catch up quick: The pastel candies' limited-edition updates often lean into dating trends.

• In 2024, they had blurry messages emblematic of a murky "situationship."
• In 2025, they were scannable, with links to buy heart-shaped headstones.
• And last October, they were all-white and message-less — a Halloween-themed play on ghosting.