Clevelanders are gearing up for a busy weather week ahead, according to the National Weather Service (NWS) in Cleveland. Today's forecast suggests a brief interlude of calm as high pressure takes the reins. Skies are expected to remain mostly clear, but temperatures won't venture far from the cold embrace of winter, with daytime mercury stubbornly below normal and nighttime lows possibly plunging into the upper single digits.
But this respite appears to barely catch its breath before the next atmospheric players take the stage. The NWS indicates a succession of low-pressure systems is queued up to sweep through the region midweek. Tuesday's weather will start to shift as an initial low-pressure system from the north grazes the area, bringing with it a chance to quickly transition from flurries to a warmer, albeit wetter mix as temperatures climb into the 30s and lower 40s. "There will be some snow for NE Ohio and NW PA with the warm front, with an inch or so possible in NW PA by Tuesday evening," the NWS explained in their forecast discussion.
Wednesday's scene is projected to bring more drama to the skies—anticipate precipitation broadly transitioning back to snow for the entire forecast area, accompanied by potentially strong wind gusts up to 45 mph. The outlook for Thursday, while uncertain, signals a potential for continued snowfall, particularly enhanced by Lake Erie if conditions align.
The latter part of the week doesn't promise much respite, as the NWS notes an ongoing "cold and unsettled pattern" that has characterized December thus far. While the specific timings and intensities of incoming systems have models in a bit of disagreement, the consensus is that Friday will usher in yet another low-pressure system. This will likely spur widespread light snow and reinforce the chilly air over Cleveland, with the weekend poised to maintain Lake Erie's proverbial snow machine. "If some of the colder model solutions like the 00z GFS can be realized, there would be some potential for some significant lake effect snows in the Great Lakes region," the NWS added a note of caution for weekend weather watchers.
Aviators and mariners are not to be left out of these environmental plot twists. The aviation forecast projects VFR conditions giving way to non-VFR with snow on Tuesday, changing to rain by Wednesday morning, then switching back to snow by Wednesday evening amid gusty winds. Lake Erie's waters will churn under Small Craft Advisories initially, with the potential for gale-force winds escalating Tuesday through Wednesday, disrupting both the serenity of the lake and the vessels that dare to traverse it.
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