CLEVELAND — Winter has arrived. Snow is everywhere. Moderate to heavy snow continues across much of the Cleveland metro area. The snow is wet and heavy this morning, weighing down trees, covering signs and causing slick conditions on the roads. Temperatures will stay steady near 32 degrees, but with winds gusting over 30mph, wind chills will be in the teens all day.
PHOTOS: First day of December brings a winter wonderland to Northeast Ohio
School closings
More than a dozen schools across Northeast Ohio have announced they will be closed on Wednesday. Click here to see if your school will be closed.
Snowy, stuck and stranded
Cars, trains, buses, and fire engines throughout Northeast Ohio were stuck during Tuesday’s snowstorm. More here.
Warming center
Middleburg Heights has opened a warming center due to power outages. Click here for more information.
RTA delays
RTA announced buses and trains have been delayed due to snow. Click here to check on those delays.
Parking bans
Communities across Northeast Ohio, including Cleveland and Parma, have issued parking bans due to the amount of snow. See an updated list here.
Browns players react to Cleveland weather in December
Browns players reacted to whipping winds, driving in bad conditions and just overall Cleveland weather in December on social media Tuesday. Read more here.
Heinen's locations in Ohio closing early
All Heinen's locations in Ohio will close at 5 p.m. Tuesday due to inclement weather, store management has announced. Read more here.
Afternoon road conditions
In an update from ODOT at 2:00 p.m., a spokesperson for the department said the primary and secondary snowbelt areas are getting hit pretty hard by Lake Effect snow. Drivers should expect snow covered roads and reduced visibility when traveling through snowbelt counties.
ODOT Cleveland said there are over 70 trucks on the road working to clear snow. Crews will continue to plow and salt the roads until the snow has stopped.
Speeds are reduced to 40 mph on I-90 between State Route 44 and State Route 528 in Lake County.
Crews continue to battle the lake effect snow in District 12 this afternoon. Over 70 trucks are on the roads. Check out these pictures from trucks on I-77, I-90 , and I-71. Don't Crowd the Plows! #ODOTwinter pic.twitter.com/f1pkNeX7zE
— ODOT Cleveland (@ODOT_Cleveland) December 1, 2020
ODOT reported near whiteout conditions in some parts of Northeast Ohio earlier in the day. There are currently more than 1,000 crews working 12-hour shifts to clear the roads as heavy snow continues to fall in many areas.
A look from StormTracker 5 early Tuesday morning shows slippery road conditions.
While crews are out working to remove the snow, it doesn't long for the roads to become covered again with snow due to high winds.
Because of the high wind it’s going to look like no plows came through in a matter of minutes. Please take it slow! https://t.co/La6MS52IQF
— Meg Shaw (@MegDShaw) December 1, 2020
Road closures
- 2:00 PM—According to the city of Maple Heights—excessive snow accumulation has made many roads in the area impassable. Residents are urged to stay home, unless travel is absolutely necessary. Power outages are also noted throughout the city.
Greater Cleveland RTA— Due to branches down at several locations on the Green Line between Shaker Square and Green Road, the Green Line trains are being sent to the Blue Line.
Due to branches down at several locations on the Green Line between Shaker Square and Green Road, Green Line trains are being sent to the Blue Line. No 67R buses are available to run a shuttle service due to lack of operators.
— Greater Cleveland RTA (@GCRTA) December 1, 2020
How much snow has fallen so far?
So far Tuesday morning, about 3 to 6 inches of snow has fallen east of Cleveland. Another 3 to 6 inches is likely in most spots north of I-76 and west of I-77.
Less than 3 inches of snow has fallen east of I-77 but it's just the beginning. Another foot of snow is possible in the snowbelt east of Cleveland.
Measuring the snow will be tough due to blowing snowing causing drifts well over 2 feet in some areas east of Cleveland.
North Olmsted is reporting 7 inches of snow Tuesday.
As for the rest of Tuesday afternoon and into the evening, lake effect snow will continue to fall. Expect an ugly evening commute.
More here: Preliminary snowfall totals show first winter storm of the season wasn't messing around
Power outages
First Energy is reporting more than 90,000 customers are without power Tuesday afternoon. The power outages are concentrated in Cuyahoga, Geauga, and Summit counties. Find the updated list here.
Lake Erie is angry
This video show at around 2 a.m. by photojournalist Mike Vielhaber shows an angry Lake Erie.
Lake Erie is angry. This was around 2am when it was still mostly rain along the lakeshore. pic.twitter.com/gOLMvJvHNS
— Mike Vielhaber (@MVielhaber) December 1, 2020
Click here to view our interactive radar.
Read and watch the latest Power of 5 forecast here.
Is your car safe for winter weather conditions?
With the arrival of winter weather, it’s important to make sure your car is up for the challenge to ensure the safety of yourself and others. More here.
Snow emergency levels
Erie County issued a Level One Snow Emergency level due to road conditions.
Lucas County issued a Level One Snow Emergency level due to road conditions.
Lorain County has issued a Level One Snow Emergency due to current winter weather conditions. This will remain in effect until further notice.
Summit County issued a Level One Snow Emergency due to hazardous conditions and drifting snow.
Snow Emergency classifications, according to the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness:
LEVEL 1: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads may also be icy. Motorists are urged to drive very cautiously.
LEVEL 2: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads may also be very icy. Only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be out on the roads. Contact your employer to see if you should report to work. Motorists should use extreme caution.
LEVEL 3: All roadways are closed to non-emergency personnel. No one should be driving during these conditions unless it is absolutely necessary to travel or a personal emergency exists. All employees should contact their employer to see if they should report to work.
Snow parking bans
Are now in effect for:
- Canton Township from Monday, Nov. 30 at 8 PM until Wednesday, Dec. 2 at 8 a.m.
- City of Lorain starting at midnight Tues. Dec. 1.
- City of Parma issued snow parking ban until further notice.
- Maple Heights has issued a snow parking ban beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday
- The City of Brunswick issued a snow parking ban in effect for at least 24 hours.
- The Village of Newburgh Heights has issued a no parking snow ban effective immediately and until further notice. Residents should remove move their vehicles from the village streets to allow crews the opportunity to clear the streets.
