CLEVELAND, Ohio – Holiday travelers take heed. A winter storm watch has been issued for parts of northern Ohio beginning Thanksgiving morning and extending through Friday evening.
The areas within the watch include Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties.
A gale warning has also been issued for Lake Erie from Wednesday morning through Friday morning, as winds could reach 40 knots.
What began as rain showers Tuesday morning will start turning to snow Wednesday afternoon as a passing cold front causes temperatures to drop rapidly from the mid-40s to the low-30s, according to the National Weather Service.
System-driven snow will transition to mostly lake effect snow Wednesday night, with a singular band over Lake Erie that could impact the northwest corner of Pennsylvania.
By Thursday morning, a shift in flow should bring lake effect snow inland in Ohio, especially to the snowbelt east of Cleveland. As snowfall intensifies into Friday, some areas in Ohio could get more than 8 inches of snow, with more than a foot possible in some areas. The exact placement of the heaviest lake effect bands is still uncertain.
Winds of 20 to 35 miles per hour and with gusts up to 45 mph are expected to create hazardous conditions on the roadways, especially along the lakeshore and west of Interstate 71.
Saturday will bring short-lived relief in the form of high pressure, but another storm system is expected Sunday into Monday that will bring snow turning into rain. High temperatures will be in the 30s, with overnight lows in the 20s.
