National Weather Service warns of heavy snow in Northeast Ohio

A Lake Effect Snow Warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for a number of Northeast Ohio counties, as the region is bracing for wintry weather in the upcoming days. The warning covers Lake, Geauga, and Ashtabula Counties from midnight Friday until 10 a.m. Saturday. At the same time, a Winter Weather Advisory has been put in place for Cuyahoga County.

Forecasted heavy lake effect snow bands are anticipated to bring around 6-18 inches of fresh snow in the areas they affect. The NWS has warned that snowfall rates could reach 1-2 inches per hour, resulting in very poor visibility, possibly as low as a quarter of a mile. These conditions are likely to make travel extremely challenging, if not impossible.

The National Weather Service has advised residents to exercise caution and stay updated on the latest weather developments as the wintry conditions approach, especially those living in the mentioned counties. It is essential to be prepared for heavy snowfall and reduced visibility, which could impact travel and daily activities in the affected areas.

The poor travel conditions would impact parts of Interstate 90, I-79, and I-86 in Northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania. 

“Heavy snow and blowing snow will lead to very difficult travel in lake effect bands, especially [Thursday night] through Friday night,” the NWS said. 

3News Meteorologist Anthony Copeland predicts some areas in Northeast Ohio like Lake and Ashtabula Counties could see as much as 1-2 feet of snow by the end of the weekend. Snowy winter conditions are expected to last through the next seven days. 

Just after 7 a.m. Friday morning, the NWS said heavy lake effect snow bands had already produced a total of 3-12 inches of new snow, with snow falling at a rate of 1-3 inches per hour. As predicted, visibility in those areas has been reduced to a quarter of a mile. The NWS expects snowfall to total 10-28 inches, with the highest amounts in areas where the snow band persists.

“It’s coming alright. Winter’s coming early, that’s for sure,” said Nicole Swider, who lives in Mentor.

She said the snow is all anyone’s talking about and she’s choosing to be prepared.

“I’m filling up the car full of gas,” Swider said. “I do have to work this weekend so I want to make sure I can get there safely. I did prep. I have cables in the trunk. I’ve got a snow shovel in the trunk so if I have to shovel my way out, I’ll hopefully be good with that, and just try to stock up on a little food too.”

Northeast Ohio’s Reliable Snowplowing Specialists will be focused on keeping up with the snowfall, even heading out as early as of 10:30 p.m. Thursday night.

“We actually time our efforts to plowing with the storm,” said founder Norm Detrick. “We can’t allow like 14 inches of snow to build up and then start our efforts.”

The Ohio Department of Transportation will be busy as well with 250 plow trucks.

“Anybody that’s going to be following their Thanksgiving plans for the weekend should be very alert if they’re heading into those primary snow belt areas, giving themselves plenty of extra time to reach destinations for the rest of the weekend plans,” advised ODOT spokesperson Amanda McFarland.

She also asks that, “you’re giving our snow plows plenty of room to work.”

22 ODOT snow plows were hit last winter.