CLEVELAND, Ohio — Northeast Ohio got its first taste of winterlike weather Thursday night as lake-effect snow churned through the region.
Spotters with the National Weather Service recorded 6.8 inches of snow as of 9 p.m. in Highland Heights, the most in the area. Mentor-on-the-Lake in Lake County had 6 inches.
Lake, Geauga and eastern Cuyahoga counties — the heart of the snow belt — took the brunt of snow, which continued falling heavily in some areas into early this morning. Forecasters said as much as 8 inches was possible in some areas, but overall totals had not been released early this morning. Chardon, generally considered the heart of the snow belt, had less than a half-inch on the ground Thursday night.
The snow won’t last. The forecast for today is calling for temperatures near 50 degree, rain and wind gusts close to 40 mph, so the snow should disappear quickly.
But some areas already had significant amounts of snow on the ground Thursday night. Available totals are listed below:
Highland Heights, 6.8 inches, 9 p.m.
Lyndhurst, 5.5 inches, 8:30 p.m.
Euclid, 4.5 inches, 7:52 p.m.
Woodmere, 2.7 inches, 9:36 p.m.
Pepper Pike, 2.5 inches, 7 p.m.
Chagrin Falls, 2.2 inches, 9 p.m.
Shaker Heights, 0.6 inch, 8:35 p.m.
Russell Township, 1.4 inches, 9 p.m.
Thompson Township, 0.8 inch, 8:48 p.m.
Munson Township, 0.5 inch, 8;45 p.m.
Auburn Township, 0.5 inch, 8 p.m.
Montville Township, 0.3 inch, 7 p.m.
Chardon, 0.3 inch, 7:43 p.m.
Mentor-on-the-Lake, 6 inches, 9 p.m.
Waite Hill, 4 inches, 7:05 p.m.
Concord Township, 3.5 inches, 9 p.m.
Mentor, 3.5 inches, 8:27 p.m.
Willoughby, 1.5 inches, 7:35 p.m.
Concord Township, 1.2 inches, 7:30 p.m.
North Madison, 0.9 inch, 7:30 p.m.
Perry, 0.6 inch, 7:04 p.m.
Barberton, 1 inch, 6 p.m.
Tallmadge, 0.1 inch, 8 p.m.