CLEVELAND — A Lake Effect Snow Warning and Winter Weather Advisory has been issued by the National Weather Service for multiple counties in Northeast Ohio.
A Lake Effect Snow Warning is in place for Ashtabula and Lake Counties from 7 a.m. Monday until 7 a.m. on Wednesday and Geauga County will be under a Lake Effect Snow Warning from 7 p.m. Monday until 7 a.m. Wednesday. This will be our first true blast of impactful winter weather across Northeast Ohio. Impacted communities include Chardon, Middlefield, Ashtabula, Mentor, Painesville, Willoughby and Chesterfield.
Another Lake Effect Snow Warning has been issued for Cuyahoga County will be in effect from 9 p.m. Monday until 12 a.m. Wednesday. Areas impacted include Cleveland, Parma, Rocky River, Lakewood, Berea, Shaker Heights, Mayfield Heights and Strongsville.
Finally, a Winter Weather Advisory has been issued for Trumbull, Lorain, Summit, and Portage Counties beginning at 1 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday with the potential for a quick burst of 3 to 6 inches of snow. This advisory coincides with the heavy band of snow moving through late Monday night into Tuesday morning. This band of lake effect will really snarl the Tuesday morning commute, so make those adjustments to avoid getting caught out in the snow.
The snow's impact is going to start making itself known on Monday with periods of light to moderate snow through the Snow Belts. By the time we get to dinner time on Monday, areas out east will have picked up anywhere between 2 to 4 inches of snow. However, the bigger concern and the biggest impact will be felt late Monday night and into Tuesday, where the lake effect snow will be at its most intense. Snowfall rates during that time could be up to 2 inches per hour and that's where the snow totals will really start to stack up.
This will make Tuesday morning's commute very difficult and treacherous, since visibility will be a concern. If you can make adjustments to your work schedule, now would be the time to consider it for Tuesday, since it will likely be a tough go by the time you're ready to walk out the door on Tuesday.
One more thing to consider is that the winds will be a huge part of this storm system that rolls through. The winds will be consistent on Monday and gusts will be as strong as 30 mph but by Tuesday, those winds will be out of the northwest and gusting up to 35 mph. So not only is it going to be cold (and feeling colder because of the wind) but also, blowing and drifting snow will certainly be a concern for those that have to make the trip to wherever they need to be.
