CLEVELAND, Ohio — A powerful Arctic front moving across Northeast Ohio Monday is bringing snow squalls, strong winds and dangerously cold wind chills, with forecasters warning that an even longer stretch of extreme cold could arrive later this week.
The Cleveland office of the National Weather Service has issued a snow squall warning through 11:45 a.m. for portions of I-480, I-490, I-77 and I-271 near Cleveland and U.S. routes 6 and 322 near Chardon.
The Arctic front was moving west to east across northern Ohio through late Monday morning and early afternoon, triggering scattered to heavy snow showers and snow squalls — particularly east of Interstate 71.
Snow squalls can cause sudden whiteout conditions and quickly coat roads with up to an inch of snow.
Wind gusts of 35 to 45 mph are expected across much of the region, with the strongest gusts — up to 45 or 50 mph — likely along the Lake Erie shoreline east of Cleveland. Those winds, combined with falling temperatures, are expected to push wind chills down to between minus 15 and minus 20 degrees late Monday into Tuesday morning.
A Cold Weather Advisory is in effect from Monday afternoon through noon Tuesday for much of northern Ohio.
Behind the front, lake-effect snow is expected to develop late Monday through Tuesday.
Another system is expected midweek, with a fast-moving clipper bringing widespread light snow — generally 1 to 2 inches — from Wednesday into Thursday.
Forecasters are also growing increasingly confident in another prolonged stretch of dangerously cold weather beginning Friday and potentially lasting into early next week. Medium-range forecasts show a 40% to 50% chance that wind chills could again fall below minus 15 degrees.
