686  
FXUS61 KCLE 192041  
AFDCLE  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH  
341 PM EST SUN JAN 19 2025  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
 
AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION THROUGH THIS EVENING.  
HIGH PRESSURE WILL GRADUALLY BUILD IN BY TUESDAY.  
 

 
   
NEAR TERM /THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT/
 
 
AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT (WITH LITTLE WIND SHIFT BUT A NOTABLE  
TEMPERATURE DROP) IS APPROACHING THE I-75 CORRIDOR AS OF THE  
3:00 PM HOUR. THIS FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE ENTIRE AREA THIS  
EVENING, USHERING IN BITTERLY COLD AIR THAT WILL LINGER THROUGH  
A GOOD PORTION OF THE WORK WEEK. COLD WEATHER AND SNOW-RELATED  
HAZARDS ARE POSTED FOR THE FORECAST AREA IN RESPONSE.  
 
*REGARDING THE COLD:  
 
NO CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE COLD WEATHER ADVISORY, AND THE  
GENERAL TIMING AND TEMPERATURE/WIND CHILL VALUES REMAIN SIMILAR  
TO THE PRIOR FORECAST. EXPECT LOW TEMPERATURES BETWEEN 0 AND 10  
ABOVE TONIGHT WITH MINIMUM WIND CHILLS OF -10 TO -20 DEGREES.  
WIND CHILLS SHOULD FALL BELOW 0 FROM WEST TO EAST BETWEEN 8 PM  
AND 2 AM TONIGHT. AFTER HIGHS ON EITHER SIDE OF 10 ABOVE ON  
MONDAY, LOWS MONDAY NIGHT WILL FALL TO -5 TO 5 ABOVE WITH  
MINIMUM WIND CHILLS AGAIN IN THE -10 TO -20 DEGREE RANGE. ALL OF  
THIS FALLS WITHIN THE "ADVISORY" RANGE FOR WIND CHILLS, SO THE  
COLD WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS AS POSTED. THE COLDEST NIGHT, AND  
LIKELY GREATEST IMPACT TO INFRASTRUCTURE, WILL BE TUESDAY NIGHT  
INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING.  
 
*REGARDING THE LAKE EFFECT SNOW:  
 
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR LAKE EFFECT SNOW HAS BEEN ADDED  
FOR SUMMIT, PORTAGE, AND TRUMBULL COUNTIES UNTIL 4 AM MONDAY.  
OTHERWISE, ADVISORIES REMAIN AS POSTED UNTIL 10 AM MONDAY FOR  
CUYAHOGA, LAKE, GEAUGA, ASHTABULA, AND CRAWFORD PA. FOR ERIE  
COUNTY PA, THE ADVISORY IS VALID UNTIL 4 PM MONDAY.  
 
A DOMINANT NORTH-SOUTH ORIENTED BAND WITH CONNECTION TO LAKE  
HURON IS CUTTING ACROSS LAKE, GEAUGA, AND PORTAGE COUNTIES AS OF  
THE 3:00 PM HOUR AND DRIFTING EAST. THIS BAND IS PUTTING DOWN  
HEAVY SNOW WITH RATES LIKELY IN THE 2" PER HOUR RANGE AND  
VISIBILITY DROPPING BELOW 1/4 OF A MILE. THIS BAND IS DRIFTING  
EAST AND SHOULD CONTINUE GRADUALLY PIVOTING EAST-NORTHEAST  
ACROSS FAR NORTHEAST OH AND INTO NORTHWEST PA THIS EVENING. A  
BROAD AREA OF GENERALLY LIGHTER LAKE ENHANCED SNOW IS ONGOING  
ACROSS MUCH OF THE REST OF THE SNOWBELT, CLEVELAND METRO, AND  
EVEN INTO ERIE AND HURON COUNTIES.  
 
WHILE WINDS ARE BEGINNING TO GRADUALLY BACK FROM A NORTHERLY TO  
MORE WESTERLY DIRECTION, CAUSING LAKE EFFECT BANDS TO GRADUALLY  
DRIFT EAST (AND NOT LINGER TOO LONG IN ONE SPOT), INTENSITY IS  
EXPECTED TO REMAIN IMPRESSIVE THROUGH ABOUT 6Z/1 AM MONDAY. IN  
FACT, ACTIVITY OUTSIDE OF THE CURRENT SINGLE DOMINANT BAND  
SHOULD UPTICK THIS EVENING DUE TO SYNOPTIC SUPPORT FROM A  
SHORTWAVE AND THE ARCTIC FRONT, MOISTURE FROM LAKE MICHIGAN, AND  
INCREASING AND DEEPENING INSTABILITY OVER THE LAKE. THIS WILL  
LEAD TO A BROAD SPRAY OF LAKE EFFECT SNOW (WITH LIKELY A FEW  
BRIEFLY MORE ORGANIZED AND VERY INTENSE BANDS PLAYING OUT ON A  
LOCALIZED BASIS) FOR SEVERAL HOURS FROM ROUGHLY SANDUSKY POINTS  
EAST-SOUTHEAST. THIS WILL INCLUDE THE CLEVELAND METRO AND ENTIRE  
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SNOWBELTS AT TIMES, GETTING INTO THE  
YOUNGSTOWN AREA TOO THROUGH THIS EVENING. THERE MAY BE A BRIEF  
LULL BEHIND THE SHORTWAVE LATE TONIGHT BEFORE A WEST-EAST BAND  
BEGINS DEVELOPING AS WINDS GO MORE WESTERLY, INCREASING THE  
FETCH AND CONVERGENCE ALONG THE EASTERN SHORELINE EARLY MONDAY.  
THIS BAND SHOULD IMPACT THE NORTHEASTERN LAKESHORE COUNTIES,  
AND IN PARTICULARY ERIE COUNTY, FOR A TIME INTO MONDAY MORNING  
BEFORE GRADUALLY LIFTING OFFSHORE THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON. SNOW  
RATIOS WILL LOWER LATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY AS VERY DRY AND COLD  
ARCTIC AIR FLOWS IN AND LOWERS THE DGZ BELOW THE CLOUDS.  
 
THE RATIONAL FOR THE SUMMIT-PORTAGE-TRUMBULL ADVISORIES WAS THE  
EXPECTATION FOR LOCALLY UP TO 4" OR SO OF SNOW IN NORTHERN  
PORTIONS OF THESE COUNTIES, BETWEEN THE NORTH-SOUTH BAND  
PIVOTING THROUGH NOW AND THE UPTICK ON NORTHWEST FLOW THIS  
EVENING. IT WILL GET QUITE SQUALLY AT TIMES THROUGH THIS EVENING  
AND WITH TEMPERATURES GETTING COLD, ROADS SHOULD GET ROUGH. THE  
OTHER ADVISORIES REMAIN ON TRACK. HAVE AMOUNTS TICKLING WARNING  
CRITERIA IN BOTH NORTHERN GEAUGA AND NORTHEASTERN ERIE  
COUNTIES. FOR GEAUGA, MOST OF THIS SNOW WILL FALL OVER THE NEXT  
SEVERAL HOURS. IF BANDING LOOKS TO START PERSISTENT MORE THAN  
EXPECTED OVER GEAUGA A QUICK WARNING UPGRADE CAN'T BE RULED OUT  
AT ANY TIME. FOR ERIE, IT SEEMS SNOW WILL BE A BIT TOO ON AND  
OFF TO EXCEED 6" IN MANY SPOTS TONIGHT. HOWEVER, IF BANDING IS  
A BIT SLOWER TO LIFT OUT THAN EXPECTED ON MONDAY AMOUNTS WOULD  
START GETTING UP THERE. GIVEN IT'S UNCERTAIN HOW QUICKLY THE  
WEST-EAST BAND STARTS DEVELOPING ON MONDAY BEFORE LIFTING  
OFFSHORE, CONTINUE TO HOLD WITH THE ADVISORY FOR ERIE PA.  
 
LOCATIONS IMPACTED BY LAKE EFFECT THIS EVENING, INCLUDING  
LOCATIONS NOT IN ADVISORIES, CAN EXPECT IMPACTS TO TRAVEL  
CONDITIONS DUE TO VISIBILITY FLUCTUATIONS, QUICK BURSTS OF SNOW,  
AND INCREASINGLY SLICK ROAD CONDITIONS AS IT GETS COLD. THIS IS  
OF PRIMARY CONCERN IN COUNTIES SUCH AS ERIE (OH), HURON, LORAIN,  
MEDINA, AND MAHONING.  
 
*SNOW OUTSIDE OF THE LAKE EFFECT:  
 
THE WHOLE AREA WILL BE SUBJECT TO SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SNOW  
SHOWERS ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE ARCTIC FRONT THROUGH THIS EVENING  
AND INTO THE FIRST HALF OF TONIGHT. SOME SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE  
MODERATE, AND A LOCALIZED MORE INTENSE SNOW SQUALL IS POSSIBLE.  
WHILE SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT WITH THIS NON-LAKE EFFECT  
SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY (GENERALLY AN INCH OR LESS FOR NORTHWEST  
OHIO, AND HALF AN INCH TO TWO INCHES IN NORTH CENTRAL OHIO AND  
MID OHIO), QUICK VISIBILITY DROPS AND INCREASINGLY SLICK/ICY  
ROADS AS TEMPERATURES DROP WILL POSE TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES THIS  
EVENING AND INTO TONIGHT. NOT ENOUGH FOR A HEADLINE, THOUGH DID  
PUT UP A SPECIAL WX STATEMENT TO INCREASE MESSAGING AND  
AWARENESS FOR THESE SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS THE AREA. IF SOMETHING  
PARTICULARLY NASTY DEVELOPS, A SNOW SQUALL WARNING COULD BE  
NEEDED AS HAS ALREADY PLAYED OUT IN FAR WEST-CENTRAL OH.  
 

 
   
SHORT TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/
 
 
THE WORST OF THIS ARCTIC BLAST AND AIRMASS WILL ARRIVE TUESDAY INTO  
TUESDAY NIGHT. THE AXIS OF A DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL MOVE  
ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AT THE LOWER  
LEVELS, WESTERLY FLOW WILL CONTINUE ARCTIC AIR ADVECTION. THERE WILL  
BE SOME LINGERING LAKE EFFECT SNOW SHOWERS TUESDAY INTO TUESDAY  
EVENING FOR THE SNOWBELT AREA OF FAR NEOH AND NWPA. ADDITIONAL  
SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE LIGHT DUE LIMITED SNOW GROWTH ZONE IN  
THE ARCTIC AIRMASS. HIGH TEMPERATURES ON TUESDAY WILL BE IN THE  
SINGLE DIGITS WITH WIND CHILLS BETWEEN -15F AND -5F. THE HEART OF  
THIS ARCTIC AIRMASS AND CENTER OF THE SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL  
MOVE ACROSS SOUTHERN OHIO TUESDAY NIGHT. SKIES WILL CLEAR OUT FOR  
MOST OF THE AREA AND TEMPERATURES WILL BE EXTREMELY COLD WITH  
OVERNIGHT LOWS BETWEEN -13F AND -5F. THE WIND CHILLS TUESDAY NIGHT  
AND EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL BE BETWEEN -24F AND -15F. A LIGHT  
SOUTHERLY WIND AND A SLOW RETURN OF WARMER AIR ADVECTION WILL COME  
ON WEDNESDAY. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL START THE SLOW CLIMB UPWARDS  
INTO THE TEENS. IT WILL NOT BE AS COLD WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH LOW  
TEMPS IN THE SINGLE DIGITS TO LOWER TEENS.  
 

 
   
LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/
 
 
THE MODERATION OF TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE FOR THE END OF THE WEEK  
INTO NEXT WEEKEND. ANOTHER WEAKER UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL SWING  
THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES AND OHIO VALLEY THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY. A WEAK  
COLD FRONT OR SURFACE TROUGH WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA THURSDAY  
NIGHT. THIS NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM MAY BRING SOME VERY LIGHT SNOW  
SHOWERS ACROSS THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL EVENTUALLY RETURN BACK TO  
MORE SEASONABLE LEVELS BY NEXT SATURDAY.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/
 
 
MVFR CEILINGS ARE MOST COMMON EARLY THIS AFTERNOON, WITH  
VISIBILITY RANGING WILDLY BASED ON IF IT'S SNOWING OR NOT. LAKE  
ENHANCED SNOW IS CURRENTLY FOCUSED ON THE CLE-CAK AREA, BUT  
SHOULD PIVOT EAST THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR  
SOME IMPROVEMENT AT CLE AND CAK BUT BRING DEGRADATIONS TO ERI  
AND YNG. AN ARCTIC FRONT SWEEPING IN FROM THE WEST WILL BRING  
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS TO TOL, FDY, AND MFD (ESPECIALLY FDY AND  
MFD) THIS AFTERNOON INTO EARLY THIS EVENING. AS THIS FEATURE  
REACHES THE CLE, CAK, AND YNG AREA IT WILL LIKELY RE-INVIGORATE  
THE LAKE ENHANCED SNOW SHOWERS AT THESE SITES. DRIER AIR AND  
WINDS GRADUALLY BACKING FROM A NORTHWEST TO MORE WEST-SOUTHWEST  
DIRECTION OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING WILL ALLOW SNOW  
TO SHIFT NORTHEAST, LARGELY JUST IMPACTING ERI BY DAWN MONDAY.  
CEILINGS WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO SCATTER OUT AND GO VFR FROM  
SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. NORTHWEST  
WINDS 5 TO 12 KNOTS WILL SHIFT MORE WESTERLY THIS EVENING INTO  
TONIGHT, PICKING UP A BIT TO 7 TO 15 KNOTS WITH SOME 20 TO 25  
KNOT GUSTS, ESPECIALLY AT WESTERN SITES AND NEAR LAKE ERIE.  
 
OUTLOOK...NON-VFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITY IN SNOW WILL LINGER  
ACROSS FAR NE OH AND NW PA INTO MONDAY WITH SOME POTENTIAL FOR  
NON-VFR TO REDEVELOP FOR MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY AT ERI.  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
 
NORTHWEST WINDS 15 TO 25 KNOTS THIS AFTERNOON WILL BECOME WESTERLY  
OVERNIGHT. WINDS WILL BECOME MORE WEST-SOUTHWESTERLY BETWEEN 20 TO 30  
KNOTS ON MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL DECREASING BETWEEN 15  
AND 25 KNOTS ON TUESDAY. THESE WINDS COMBINED WITH AN ARCTIC AIRMASS  
AND WATER TEMPERATURES OF 32 TO 33 F WILL LEAD TO HEAVY FREEZING  
SPRAY WHERE WATER REMAINS OPEN AND ICE FREE FROM AVON POINT TO  
RIPLEY. HOWEVER, EXPECT ICE FORMATION TO RAPIDLY INCREASE THROUGH  
MIDWEEK. SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL DIMINISH BETWEEN 10 AND 15 KNOTS  
TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AND THE POTENTIAL FOR OPEN WATERS MAY  
BECOME MOSTLY ICE COVERED. A HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING IS EFFECT  
FROM 06Z MONDAY THROUGH 06Z WEDNESDAY TO ACCOUNT FOR THE COLDEST  
TEMPERATURES AND STRONGEST WINDS WHERE WATER REMAINS OPEN IN THE  
OPEN WATERS FROM AVON POINT TO RIPLEY.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ISSUANCE HAS BEEN SUSPENDED UNTIL FURTHER  
NOTICE FOR NEARSHORE WATERS FROM MAUMEE BAY TO RIPLEY DUE TO  
EXTENSIVE ICE COVER.  
 

 
   
CLIMATE
 
 
ARCTIC AIR WILL ARRIVE EARLY MONDAY MORNING 1/20, AND PERSIST  
THROUGH WEDNESDAY 1/22. THE COLDEST PERIOD IS EXPECTED TO BE  
LATE TUESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH CURRENT  
FORECAST TEMPERATURES APPROACHING RECORD LOWS FOR 1/22. BELOW  
ARE THE CURRENT RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR 1/20-22.  
 
DATE TOLEDO MANSFIELD CLEVELAND AKRON YOUNGSTOWN ERIE  
01-20 -17(1985) -22(1985) -18(1985) -24(1985) -20(1985) -15(1985)  
01-21 -20(1984) -19(1985) -17(1985) -24(1985) -20(1985) -16(1985)  
01-22 -12(1936) -10(1936) -10(1936) -13(1936) -9(2022) -7(1970)  
 

 
   
CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
OH...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 AM MONDAY TO 10 AM EST WEDNESDAY  
FOR OHZ003-006>014-017>023-027>033-036>038-047-089.  
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM EST MONDAY FOR OHZ011>014-  
089.  
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM EST MONDAY FOR OHZ021>023.  
PA...COLD WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 AM MONDAY TO 10 AM EST WEDNESDAY  
FOR PAZ001>003.  
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM EST MONDAY FOR PAZ001-002.  
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM EST MONDAY FOR PAZ003.  
MARINE...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING FROM 1 AM MONDAY TO 1 AM EST  
WEDNESDAY FOR LEZ166>169.  
 

 
 

 
 
SYNOPSIS...SULLIVAN  
NEAR TERM...SULLIVAN  
SHORT TERM...GRIFFIN  
LONG TERM...GRIFFIN  
AVIATION...SULLIVAN  
MARINE...GRIFFIN  
CLIMATE...  
 
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