CLEVELAND — A few early morning showers quickly exit Northeast Ohio, setting the way for a cold and calm Christmas Day. Highs will be in the upper 30s to near 40 degrees, which is right on target for this time of year — fairly light wind and a mix of sun and clouds — no worries for travel impacts or weather-related delays.
Things change on Friday with the potential for a light glaze of ice that could cause significant travel impacts. Why freezing rain and not snow? Air temperatures between the clouds and the ground will be above freezing. So any snowflakes that pass through that warmer air melt into raindrops. When those raindrops hit the freezing cold ground, which turns into freezing rain and the potential worrisome glaze of ice. This is especially worrisome on a big travel day, the day after Christmas. The best chance for a few hours' worth of freezing rain would be in the higher elevations, like the snowbelt on the east side, primarily Ashtabula County. Up to a tenth of an inch is expected, which, while that may sound harmless, is enough to create an ice-skating rink effect on any untreated surfaces like sidewalks and roads.
The ice will change to rain for everyone by midday, quickly ending the ice threat and improving road conditions. Still wet and slick, but at least not icy for the second half. This storm is a essentially one large warm front for Northeast Ohio, meaning it turns warmer through the weekend. Low to mid-40s on Saturday, middle 50s even on Sunday. That is when our next storm approaches with the potential not only for rain but for evening t-storms, too.
DAILY FORECAST:
Christmas Day: Isolated morning showers. | High: 39º
Friday: Rain, freezing rain, and sleet all likely. | High: 40º
Saturday: Cool & dry. | High: 42º
Sunday: A few showers and t-storms possible. | High: 55º
Monday: Much colder. Lake effect snow possible. | High: 25º
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