Thanksgiving journey forecast: Lake-effect snow hits Northeast Ohio with harmful circumstances

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A strong lake-effect snowstorm is hitting Northeast Ohio on Thanksgiving, threatening vacation journey with whiteout circumstances, wind gusts as much as 50 mph and greater than a foot of snow throughout the area’s snowbelt.

Snowfall charges as much as 1 inch per hour are attainable, the National Weather Service mentioned Thursday morning.

Heavy lake-effect bands fueled by a powerful low-pressure system over the northern Great Lakes are dropping 12 to fifteen inches of snow in Lake County south of I-90, far jap Cuyahoga County and northern Geauga County by way of Friday night, National Weather Service forecasters say Thursday morning.

Across the broader snowbelt — together with inland Erie County, Pennsylvania — totals of 8 to fifteen inches are occurring, with some areas doubtlessly exceeding 18 inches.

“Motorists should use extreme caution,” forecasters write, noting the heaviest and most hazardous circumstances are hitting Thursday, coinciding with Thanksgiving journey.

Wind gusts of 45 to 50 mph alongside the lakeshore are creating blowing and drifting snow by way of Thursday evening, drastically decreasing visibility. A Wind Advisory is in impact for elements of Northeast Ohio by way of late Thursday evening.

A Lake Effect Snow Warning stays in impact by way of 7 p.m. Friday for Lake, Geauga and jap Cuyahoga counties, with a Winter Weather Advisory in place for adjoining areas.

Forecasters say snow bands are pushing inland as winds shift from southwest to a extra west-northwest movement later Thursday, spreading scattered snow showers to areas together with Cleveland and Youngstown.

Highs Thursday and Friday attain solely the low to mid-30s, with in a single day lows within the low to mid-20s. Wind chills fall into the teenagers at occasions due to the robust winds. Temperatures alongside the lakeshore run barely hotter.

Areas west and south of the snowbelt stay largely dry, although scattered lake-effect snow showers from Lake Michigan may briefly attain northwest and central Ohio Thursday into Thursday evening. Gusty winds as much as 40-45 mph persist throughout the area.

Lake-effect snow tapers Friday evening as excessive stress briefly strikes in. But one other low-pressure system is anticipated to carry 1 to 2 inches of snow to a lot of northern Ohio on Saturday evening into Sunday, with as much as 4 inches round Toledo. Rain is anticipated to combine in or take over Sunday as temperatures climb into the higher 30s and low 40s.