839
FXUS61 KCLE 282303
AFDCLE
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
603 PM EST SAT FEB 28 2026
WHAT HAS CHANGED
THERE IS HIGHER CONFIDENCE IN A LIGHT COATING OF SNOW IN NE OH
AND NW PA TONIGHT. OTHERWISE, THERE ARE NO MAJOR CHANGES IN THE
FORECAST.
KEY MESSAGES
1) LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TONIGHT WITH VERY LIMITED IMPACTS.
2) WARMER CONDITIONS WITH MULTIPLE PERIODS OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED
TUESDAY THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND. THERE COULD BE INCREASING
POTENTIAL FOR NUISANCE FLOODING AND INCREASING FLOW IN AREA
RIVERS AND CREEKS.
DISCUSSION
1) A COLD FRONT IS MAKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA THIS
AFTERNOON AND TEMPERATURES WILL FLAT-LINE WITH PEAK HEATING THIS
AFTERNOON BUT SHOULD DROP OFF SIGNIFICANTLY TONIGHT. MEANWHILE,
THERE IS SOME UPPER LEVEL SUPPORT FOR SOME SNOW WITH SNOW
REACHING THE GROUND IN WISCONSIN/ILLINOIS AND MOVING OVER LAKE
MICHIGAN. THIS WILL SPREAD EAST TONIGHT AND LIKELY ACROSS MUCH
OF THE AREA. MOST FOLKS SHOULD AT LEAST SEE SOME FLAKES TONIGHT.
HOWEVER, ANY MEANINGFUL COATING WOULD PROBABLY BE IN NE OH AND
NW PA WITH GENERALLY AN INCH OR LESS. THERE SHOULDN'T BE TOO
MUCH IMPACT WITH THE SNOW GIVEN THE TIMING AND THE WARMER
ANTECEDENT GROUND CONDITIONS FROM SUNSHINE TODAY AND RECENT
TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S AND 50S.
2) STARTING ON TUESDAY, A WARM FRONT WILL ENTER THE REGION AND
BRING A NOTABLE PATTERN CHANGE TO THE REGION. FOR STARTERS, THIS
FRONT WILL ALLOW FOR TEMPERATURES TO SURGE BACK INTO THE 50S ON
TUESDAY WITH TEMPERATURES GRADUALLY WARMING INTO THE 60S AND
EVEN 70S BY THE END OF THE WEEK, AS STRONG WARM SECTOR BUILDS
OVER THE REGION. MORE IMPORTANTLY THOUGH, THIS FRONT WILL BEGIN
A WET PATTERN FOR THE FORECAST AREA WITH MULTIPLE ROUND OF RAIN
EXPECTED THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. ALL IN ALL, THE FORECAST
AREA IS LOOKING AT ABOUT 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH THE WEEK
WITH PERIODIC RAIN EXPECTED. THEREFORE, THE FLOOD RISK IS NOT
VERY HIGH AT THIS POINT AS THERE WILL BE BREAKS THAT WILL ALLOW
FOR WATER TO DRAIN. IN ADDITION, SOME OF THE FORECAST AREA
REMAINS IN A DROUGHT (PARTICULARLY IN NW OH) AND COULD USE SOME
WATER TO HELP RESTORE SOIL MOISTURE AND LOW WATER LEVELS ON THE
RIVERS. WILL NEED TO MONITOR TO SEE IF THERE IS A PERIOD THAT
COULD OVERPERFORM AND ALLOW FOR SOME NUISANCE FLOODING ISSUES,
ESPECIALLY IN THE URBAN AREAS OR WHERE SOIL MOISTURE IS HIGHER
WITH THE RECENT MELTED SNOWPACK. THERE COULD BE SOME THUNDER
CHANCES ON WEDNESDAY WITH A MORE POTENT SHORTWAVE MOVING THROUGH
THE REGION, BUT THE THERMODYNAMICS APPEAR POOR FOR ANYTHING MORE
THAN THUNDER RIGHT NOW AS THIS SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
AREA LATE ON WEDNESDAY.
AVIATION /00Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/
THE MAIN AVIATION CONCERN FOR POTENTIAL WEATHER IMPACTS WILL BE
OVERNIGHT WITH AREAS OF LIGHT SNOW MOVING IN. ALL TAF LOCATIONS
ARE STARTING OUT WITH VFR CONDITIONS AND CEILINGS AT OF EARLY
SATURDAY EVENING. WE EXPECTED CEILINGS TO LOWER TO MVFR TO LOWER
MVFR FOR MOST LOCATIONS LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING. THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR IFR CONDITIONS WILL BE AT ERI
WITH 1SM TO 2SM SNOW AND CEILINGS BETWEEN 700 AND 1500 FEET. WE
WILL HAVE TO WATCH FOR SOME POTENTIAL FOR IFR AT CLE AND YNG.
THE REST OF THE AREA WILL SEE 3SM TO 5SM LIGHT SNOW AND CEILINGS
BETWEEN 1500 AND 2500 FEET LATER TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING.
CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE LATER SUNDAY MORNING TO VFR CEILINGS
THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
WINDS WILL GRADUALLY BECOME NORTH-NORTHEAST 8-12 KNOTS THIS
EVENING THROUGH TONIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO SUNDAY.
OUTLOOK...NON-VFR POSSIBLE IN SNOW AGAIN SUNDAY NIGHT INTO
MONDAY, MAINLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF US-30. PERIODS OF NON- VFR
CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT NEXT WEEK AS AN ACTIVE
PATTERN BECOMES ESTABLISHED.
MARINE
STRONGER N FLOW DEVELOPING BEHIND A COLD FRONT THE REST OF THE
AFTERNOON WILL TURN NE AT 10-20 KNOTS TONIGHT, DIMINISHING TO
5-10 KNOTS BY LATE SUNDAY. WINDS THEN TURN E AT 5-10 KNOTS
SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE STRENGTHENS OVER THE
LOWER GREAT LAKES BEFORE BECOMING SW AND INCREASING TO 10-15
KNOTS TUESDAY AS A WARM FRONT LIFTS TO NEAR LAKE ERIE. WINDS
WILL THEN FLUCTUATE BETWEEN N AND S THROUGH THURSDAY AS THE
FRONT WAVERS OVER THE SOUTHERN GREAT LAKES IN RESPONSE TO A
SERIES OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEMS TRACKING ALONG IT.
THE FREQUENT WIND SHIFTS THROUGH NEXT WEEK AND RETURN TO MILD
TEMPERATURES AFTER THE SUNDAY AND MONDAY COLD WILL CONTINUE TO
CAUSE THE REMAINING ICE TO SHIFT AROUND AND DECAY. THIS COULD
POSE SOME HAZARDS TO SHIPPING LANES.
CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
OH...NONE.
PA...NONE.
MARINE...NONE.
DISCUSSION...SEFCOVIC
AVIATION...77
MARINE...GARUCKAS
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