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FORECAST: WINTER STORM WARNING Late Thursday into Friday

Cleveland forecast from the Power of 5 weather team

By: Mark Johnson , Trent Magill , Katie McGraw , Phil Sakal

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and last updated

WINTER STORM WARNING for Sandusky, Seneca, & Ottawa Counties from 10 pm Thursday thru 7am Saturday morning for high winds, dangerous cold, icy roads & blowing snow.

WINTER STORM WARNING for Erie, Huron, Cuyahoga, Lorain, Medina, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Summit, Portage and Trumbull Counties from 1 am Thursday until 10 am Saturday. Expect wind gusts to near 60 mph, 3-6 inches of snow, dangerous wind chills to -25 degrees, blowing snow & icy roads.

WINTER STORM WARNING for Lake & Ashtabula County from 1am Friday until 4pm Saturday. Expect wind gusts to near 60 mph, 4-8 inches of snow, dangerous wind chills to -25 degrees, blowing snow & icy roads.

One more quiet day to get shopping done on Wednesday. Skies will feature a mix of sun and clouds for the middle of the week, with highs in the upper 30s to near 40. Winter officially began at 4:48 PM EST.

More clouds return during the overnight, as lows drop into the lower 30s.

2 DAYS OUT...A Strong Winter Storm will move into Northern Ohio beginning early Friday morning and linger into Christmas morning bringing significant impacts to Holiday shoppers, travelers and gatherers. A strong artic cold front will move thru the area between 2 and 5 am Friday morning with temperatures falling rapidly behind it. We will see thermometers drop from the 40s into the teens and lower 20s by the end of the AM rush. Leftover liquid from rain showers ahead of the front will rapidly freeze on all untreated surfaces. A quick burst of 2-4 inches of snow will also accompany the front. Travel Friday morning will be extremely difficult for many across Northern Ohio. Dry, cold and windy weather will settle in for Friday afternoon with wind gusts between 40 and 50+ mph, especially near the lakeshore. Temperatures will continue to fall through the afternoon into the single digits and teens with wind chills below zero. For most of us, that will likely be the end of the accumulating snow. Lake enhanced snow returns Friday evening for shoreline communities in Lake & Ashtabula Counties. Everyone will experience bitterly cold temperatures overnight, and wind chills below between -20 & -30 degrees. Strong wind gusts above 50 mph will cause extensive blowing snow for travelers. On Saturday, I expect mainly flurries for Northern Ohio. A squall in the primary snowbelt could continue to deposit moderate to heavy snow, making travel east on Interstate 90 very slow. High temperatures will struggle up to between 7 and 15 degrees. Wind chills will stay between -5 and -20 degrees during the day. Gusty winds between 30 & 50 mph will continue to cause blowing snow and limit visibilities. Light snow and flurries will continue across the area Saturday night through Christmas Day. A heavier snow squall will likely continue along the shoreline of Lake and Ashtabula Counties with additional snow accumulations. It will be windy, but local travel should improve by Christmas morning. Highs on Christmas Day will top out in the teens with wind chills below zero.

What To Expect: