CLEVELAND, Ohio – Lake effect snow off Lake Erie will begin Thankgsiving night and bring periodic heavy snow across regions in Northeast Ohio over multiple days, according to the National Weather Service.
A winter weather advisory is expected to begin in Cuyahoga County at midnight Friday and last until 10 a.m. Saturday, says NWS meteorologist Alex Kennedy.
Cleveland and surrounding areas could receive 1-2 inches of snow, with winds around 10 to 15 mph on Thursday. On Friday, wind gusts are expected to increase around 25 to 30 mph.
“We’re probably going to get around an inch to about two inches of snow, and then again, as you move more northeastward along the lakeshore, it’s going to increase pretty rapidly,” Kennedy said.
Temperatures for the area will also be in the teens and low 20s near Lake Erie, he said.
Geauga, Ashtabula, and Lake counties were issued a lake effect snow warning from midnight until 10 a.m. Saturday. Crawford and Erie counties in Pennsylvania will also be affected.
The counties will see heavier snowfall, ranging from 6 to 14 inches of snow, and wind gusts up to 35 mph, according to NWS.
Further south, snowfall amounts will decrease in southern Geauga, Portage, and Summit counties. Those areas could accumulate about 3-4 inches of snow.
Across affected areas, snow bands will total 6-18 inches of new snow and bring occasional one to two inch per hour snowfall rates, according to the NWS. More snow could fall throughout the area from Sunday until Tuesday.
The heavy and blowing snow could cause poor visibility and impact travel plans. Major travel roads impacted would parts of I-90, I-79, and I-86 in Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania.
Workers with the Ohio Department of Transportation have pre-treated roadways ahead of the winter advisories. The department has more than 300,000 tons of salt and at least 250 snowplow drivers working through the holiday weekend to ensure road safety.
The department does not expect bad weather for Thanksgiving Day travel, but ramps, bridges, and overpasses could become slippery, so the agency encourages drivers to be careful.
Friday through Sunday, when lake effect snow may heavily affect Northeast Ohio, ODOT encourages those with travel plans to check the forecast and allow extra time on the roads. Drivers can also access OHGO.com to be informed of crashes, incidents, and to check traffic cameras.