CLEVELAND — Last night's squall line of windswept downpours is a distant memory, but the storm is just getting started with its impact on Northeast Ohio. Temperatures have tumbled since midnight, when it was 54 degrees in Cleveland. It has fallen into the 30s in just a couple of hours, and it will likely be below freezing by the middle of the morning commute. There is a lot of standing water on the roads due to a combination of rain and rapid snowmelt.
Any untreated surfaces with standing water will freeze as temperatures rapidly drop and frequent gusts help chill the water faster. To add to the icy concerns, there will be lake-effect snow showers through this afternoon and evening that could drop 3 inches of snow where squalls persist, mainly in the primary snowbelt. Eastern Ashtabula County is likely to end up being that bullseye.
Gusts of 30 to 40 mph will persist through the rest of the day, further increasing the flash-freeze potential and the frigid feel. While actual air temperatures fall through the 20s, wind chills will fall into the single digits.
The lake effect snow showers taper off around midnight, and lows dip to the upper teens but feel like single digits. It is a short-lived cold blast as another (albeit tamer) warm surge arrives tomorrow with highs back into the 40s.
DAILY FORECAST:
Friday: Lake effect snow showers. Windy and Colder. | High: 22º
Saturday: Mostly Cloudy and warmer. Stray shower at night. | High: 42º
Sunday: Mostly cloudy. Cold. | High: 30º
Monday: Partly cloudy. Chilly. | High: 35º
Tuesday: Rain showers possible. Warmer. | High: 45º
Christmas Eve: Mostly cloudy. Brief dry break. | High: 47º
Christmas Day: Rain possible. Much warmer. | High: 57º (chance for 60?!)
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