505  
FXUS61 KCLE 271450  
AFDCLE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH  
950 AM EST WED NOV 27 2024  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
LOW PRESSURE TRACKS THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY LATE THIS EVENING  
INTO TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. COLD AIR FLOWS IN BEHIND THIS LOW  
PRESSURE BEGINNING THURSDAY NIGHT AND INTO THE WEEKEND WITH LAKE  
EFFECT SNOW SETTING UP FOR THE REGION.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/
 
 
9:50 AM EST UPDATE...  
 
FORECAST REMAINS VALID PER LATEST TRENDS IN OBS AND MODEL  
GUIDANCE. NO CHANGES APPEARED NECESSARY AT THIS TIME. WILL  
CONTINUE TO ASSESS HOW MUCH RAIN VERSUS SNOW WILL OCCUR TONIGHT  
INTO THANKSGIVING MORNING IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE NEXT LOW  
PRESSURE SYSTEM TO IMPACT OUR AREA. LOW-LEVEL TEMPS/WET-BULB  
TEMPS, INCLUDING THOSE AT THE SURFACE, WILL BE CRITICAL FOR HOW  
MUCH RAIN VERSUS SNOW OCCURS AND SNOW ACCUMULATION POTENTIAL.  
PLEASE SEE DISCUSSION BELOW FOR DETAILS.  
 
PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...  
SURFACE LOW GOING TO EJECT OUT OF THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS REGION  
INTO THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY TODAY, THE OHIO VALLEY LATE THIS  
EVENING, AND INTO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS TONIGHT. HAVE BEEN  
WATCHING THIS TRACK CAREFULLY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS ALONG WITH  
THE NORTHWARD EXTENT OF THE PRECIPITATION SHIELD. BRING IN THE POPS  
AROUND 21Z TODAY IN THE SOUTHWESTERN ZONES, SPREADING EASTWARD AND  
GRADUALLY NORTHWARD TONIGHT. BEST FORCING IN TERMS OF THE LOW LEVEL  
F-GEN WILL BE SOUTH OF THE CWA. TEMPERATURES AT THE SURFACE AND IN  
THE COLUMN ARE MARGINAL, SO SNOW RATIOS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ALL THAT  
COOPERATIVE IN TERMS OF ACCUMULATING SNOW. HOWEVER, THE MID LEVEL  
TROUGH AXIS APPEARS TO DIG SLIGHTLY AS IT COMES THROUGH THE CWA, SO  
BRING THE TEMPERATURES AT THE SURFACE CLOSE TO FREEZING FOR THE 06-  
15Z TIME FRAME ON THURSDAY. OVERALL, COULD SEE AROUND AN INCH IN  
THE HIGHER TERRAIN NEAR MFD AND IN THE EASTERN SECTION OF CRAWFORD  
COUNTY PA, AND MAINLY JUST A COATING IN BETWEEN THOSE AREAS AWAY  
FROM LAKE ERIE, AND EXCLUDING NW OH/TOL AREA AS WELL. TEMPERATURES  
RECOVER FAIRLY QUICKLY INTO THE 40S FOR THURSDAY, SO WILL NOT BE  
EXPECTING ANYTHING THAT ACCUMULATES OVERNIGHT TO STICK AROUND.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/
 
 
THE SHORT TERM FORECAST PERIOD WILL FEATURE THE ORGANIZATION OF A  
MULTI-DAY LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENT TO THE LEE OF LAKE ERIE THAT WILL  
HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS TO POST-HOLIDAY TRAVEL ACROSS  
NORTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA. WITH HIGHER CONFIDENCE IN  
IMPACTFUL LAKE EFFECT SNOW, A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR  
ERIE AND CRAWFORD COUNTIES IN PA AND ASHTABULA AND LAKE COUNTIES IN  
OH FROM MIDNIGHT FRIDAY MORNING TO 7 AM ON MONDAY. HOWEVER, THERE  
STILL REMAINS SOME UNCERTAINTY IN THE EXACT PLACEMENT AND TIMING OF  
LAKE EFFECT SNOW BANDS ACROSS THE REGION AND HOW QUICKLY SNOW WILL  
TAPER OFF EARLY NEXT WEEK. ANY HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW BANDS WILL  
HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR 1 TO 2 INCH PER HOUR SNOWFALL RATES AND POOR  
VISIBILITY, AS LOW AS ONE QUARTER OF A MILE, WHICH COULD MAKE TRAVEL  
DIFFICULT TO IMPOSSIBLE, ESPECIALLY ALONG INTERSTATES 90, 86, AND  
79.  
 
WITH A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE REGION ON THURSDAY NIGHT,  
STRONG COLD AIR ADVECTION WILL ENTER WITH 850 MB TEMPERATURES  
DROPPING TO -9 TO -11 C AROUND DAY BREAK ON FRIDAY. THE PREVAILING  
FLOW ACROSS THE LAKE WILL BE AROUND DUE WEST AND THERE SHOULD BE  
PLENTY OF RESIDUAL SYNOPTIC MOISTURE PRESENT ACROSS THE REGION. ALL  
OF THESE INGREDIENTS WILL BE IN PLACE TO ALLOW FOR SOME LAKE EFFECT  
SNOW TO BEGIN ACROSS THE REGION. MEANWHILE ON FRIDAY MORNING, A  
STRONGER WAVE OF ENERGY ALOFT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION AS AN  
UPPER LOW SPINS OVER NORTHEAST ONTARIO. THIS WILL ENHANCE THE LIFT  
ACROSS THE AREA AND ALLOW FOR MORE EFFICIENT LAKE EFFECT TO DEVELOP  
AND SUSPECT THAT THERE WILL BE HEAVY LAKE EFFECT SNOW BANDS  
IMPACTING NW PA AND NE OH ON FRIDAY MORNING AND AFTERNOON. THIS WILL  
BE A PERIOD TO WATCH FOR SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE IMPACTS OF THIS  
MULTI-DAY LAKE EFFECT SNOW EVENT. FOR SATURDAY, IT APPEARS THAT THE  
FLOW WILL BACK JUST A TOUCH BEHIND THE WAVE OF ENERGY ALOFT AND THE  
SNOW BANDS MAY LIFT NORTH TO OVER THE LAKE AND FOCUS INTO WESTERN NY  
VS. NW PA. IN THE END, THERE IS LOWER CONFIDENCE ON THE SNOW BAND  
PLACEMENT ON SATURDAY AND WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE SOME POPS FOR FAR NE  
OH AND NW PA. TEMPERATURES WILL BE COLD FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY  
BEHIND THE FRONT WITH HIGHS TRENDING DOWN WITH 30S ON FRIDAY AND  
LIKELY NOT ABOVE FREEZING FOR SATURDAY. OVERNIGHT LOWS WILL BE IN  
THE TEENS.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/
 
 
THE MAIN WEATHER STORIES FOR THE LONG TERM FORECAST PERIOD WILL BE  
CONTINUED LAKE EFFECT SNOW TO THE LEE OF LAKE ERIE AND SUSTAINED  
COLD ACROSS THE REGION. WITH FAVORABLE FETCH OVER LAKE ERIE AT  
DAYBREAK ON SUNDAY MORNING, 850 MB TEMPERATURES OF -11 TO -13 C  
OVERHEAD, AND SUFFICIENT MOISTURE ACROSS THE REGION, THERE SHOULD BE  
SOME ONGOING, POTENT LAKE EFFECT SNOW BANDS OCCURRING ACROSS THE  
REGION ON SUNDAY. WITH A WESTERLY FETCH, BANDS SHOULD BE INTO ERIE  
COUNTY PA TO START THE DAY. HOWEVER, A WAVE OF ENERGY WILL CURL  
AROUND THE LARGER UPPER TROUGH AND THIS MAY ALLOW FOR THE FLOW TO  
VEER MORE TO THE NORTHWEST AND ALLOW FOR MORE WIDESPREAD LAKE EFFECT  
SNOW INTO THE BROADER NE OH/NW PA SNOW BELT FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK.  
THEREFORE, WILL HAVE A LARGE AREA OF LIKELY OR HIGHER POPS ACROSS  
THE REGION FOR SUNDAY THROUGH TUESDAY AND SUSPECT SEVERAL MORE  
INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION AND SOME FORM OF A  
WINTER HEADLINE WILL NEED TO BE CONSIDERED, AS HINTED AT WITH THE  
WINTER STORM WATCH ISSUANCE THROUGH MONDAY AM. TEMPERATURES WILL  
REMAIN COLD FOR THE FIRST DAYS OF DECEMBER WITH HIGHS LIKELY NOT  
EXCEEDING THE FREEZING MARK ALL THREE DAYS AND LOWS IN THE TEENS  
THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /12Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
CEILINGS LOWERING TO FL100 AND SHOULD STAY THERE FOR A FEW HOURS  
BEFORE CONTINUING THEIR DOWNWARD TRACK AFTER 00Z THURSDAY. AT  
THAT TIME, LOW PRESSURE MOVING INTO THE OHIO VALLEY, BUT  
REMAINING SOUTH OF THE AREA. RAIN WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION  
AROUND THIS TIME AS WELL. TEMPERATURES DROPPING TO NEAR FREEZING  
CHANGES THE PRECIPITATION TYPE TO LIGHT SNOW OR A RAIN/SNOW MIX  
FOR TERMINALS AWAY FROM THE LAKESHORE AND ALSO EXCLUDING TOL  
WHICH WILL STAY DRY/VFR. EXPECT BOTH CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES  
TO GO TO IFR OR WORSE WITHIN 3-5 HOURS AFTER PRECIPITATION  
ONSET. SOUTHWEST WINDS BECOME SOUTHERLY LESS THAN 10KTS.  
 
OUTLOOK...NON-VFR LIKELY IN PERIODIC LAKE EFFECT SNOW FROM  
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND. LAKE EFFECT SNOW IS MOST  
LIKELY IN THE PRIMARY SNOWBELT OF NORTHEAST OHIO AND NORTHWEST  
PENNSYLVANIA.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
SOME RESIDUAL ENHANCED WESTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE LAKE  
THIS MORNING AND ALLOW FOR CONTINUED ELEVATED WAVES OVER THE EASTERN  
BASIN. WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY VALID THROUGH  
10 AM THIS MORNING. HIGH PRESSURE TO THE SOUTH WILL CONTINUE TO  
CREEP INTO THE AREA AND BACK FLOW ACROSS THE BASIN. LOW PRESSURE  
WILL DEVELOP TO THE SOUTH TONIGHT AND WINDS WILL ABRUPTLY FLIP TO  
THE NORTH ON THURSDAY AS THE SYSTEM PASSES TO THE SOUTHEAST.  
HOWEVER, THIS LOW WILL HELP A COLD FRONT ACROSS THE LAKE ON THURSDAY  
AND FLOW WILL EVENTUALLY SETTLE ON A WESTERLY FLOW FOR FRIDAY. A  
GENERAL TROUGH PATTERN WILL SET UP ACROSS THE REGION FOR FRIDAY AND  
BEYOND WITH SUSTAINED COLD ALLOWING FOR BOUTS OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW  
ACROSS THE BASIN. THE TROUGH AND SNOW WILL ALLOW FOR ENHANCED  
WESTERLY FLOW ON FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND THERE WILL LIKELY BE  
THE NEED FOR SOME FORM OF MARINE HEADLINE WITH WINDS POSSIBLY  
EXCEEDING 20 KT AND WAVES BUILDING ABOVE 4 FT.  
 

 
   
CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
OH...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY  
MORNING FOR OHZ012-014-089.  
PA...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM LATE THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY  
MORNING FOR PAZ001>003.  
MARINE...NONE.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...26  
NEAR TERM...JASZKA/26  
SHORT TERM...SEFCOVIC  
LONG TERM...SEFCOVIC  
AVIATION...26  
MARINE...SEFCOVIC  
 
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