The National Weather Service in Cleveland updated the current weather situation in the Great Lakes region, with Clevelanders bracing for lake-effect snow showers through Thursday. Due to a persistent connection with Lake Huron, lake effect snow is expected to blanket Northwest Pennsylvania with an additional 3 to 6 inches of snow as part of a Winter Weather Advisory. In contrast, lighter accumulations of less than 1 inch are forecasted for Northern Ohio counties.
Snow showers are anticipated to intensify later tonight on the heels of an upper-level shortwave, with snow expected to stream into Northwest Ohio from Lake Michigan through early Thursday, yet totals remain under 1 inch. Clevelanders should prepare for blustery conditions with wind chills nose-diving into the single digits in some areas and overnight temperatures plunging into the low teens, according to the latest synopsis by NWS, Cleveland.
As the area transitions into Friday, a system merging two stream trough axes is forecasted to bring area-wide snowfall starting post-21Z Friday. Accumulations are expected to rest mostly in the 2-4 inch range by Saturday when the front is projected to move through. Thus, while the set-up for a snow event starts to materialize, the intensity and overall snowfall amounts remain on the modest side of the scale.
Looking ahead into the weekend, a cold front is set to induce lake-effect snow, which should taper off Sunday night. A brief warming trend may cause temperatures to nudge just above freezing in spots on Sunday. However, early next week an Alberta Clipper is poised to usher colder air back into the region, a resumption of wintry conditions is all but assured as the cold pattern of January persists.
Marine weather advisories remain in effect with the NWS, Cleveland's Small Craft Advisory, highlighting cautious conditions for Avon Point east to Ripley, NY, with waves ranging from 3-5 feet until midnight EST Thursday night, with Lake Erie's western basin experiencing northwest winds of 10-20 knots and the central and eastern basins at 15-25 knots through late Thursday and winds shifting southwest ahead of the incoming cold front.
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