NE Ohio snow belt gets pounded as lake-effect kicks into gear

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Snow was coming down at a rapid rate early Tuesday morning in the Northeast Ohio snow belt, accumulating up to 2 inches per hour in some areas and making travel on parts of Interstate 90 “nearly impossible.”

It’s part of a winter storm that could dump up to 16 inches of snow in some areas by the time it’s done late tonight or early Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

At 4 a.m., the Weather Service warned that deep snow was covering parts of I-90 in eastern Cuyahoga, Lake and Ashtabula counties. Visibility was at less than a quarter-mile. Residents were advised to consider delaying travel because of the conditions.

A winter storm warning is in effect until midnight Tuesday for southwestern and northeastern Cuyahoga County. Up to 5 inches of snow could fall in the southwestern portions of the county, while the northeastern section could get up to 10 inches.

The warning extends until 7 a.m. Wednesday in Lake, Geauga and Ashtabula counties, with 12 inches of snow possible. Wind gusts will reach 30 mph throughout the region.

The Ohio Department of Transportation is warning of hazardous travel conditions because of the snow. Speed limits on Interstate 90 east of Ohio 44 in Lake County into Ashtabula County had been lowered to 50 mph by 4 a.m. because of intense snow bands impacting the area.

Vehicles were barely visible from the traffic cameras on ODOT’s ohgo.com website at 4 a.m. because of the heavy snow.

ODOT says it will have 200 plows on area roads this morning.

Lorain, Summit, Portage and Trumbull counties will feel some impact from the storm, with up to 5 inches of snow possible, forecasts say. Those counties are under a winter weather advisory until 7 p.m. today. The snow could fall quickly at times, accumulating at 1 inch per hour.

Current snow amounts were not available early Tuesday morning.

The forecast for Cleveland Hopkins International Airport in western Cuyahoga County calls for 2 to 4 inches today. High temperatures will be around 30 degrees. There is a slight chance of snow showers overnight and temps will drop to the upper teens.

The snow should begin to melt quickly. Highs on Thursday will be near 50 degrees with mostly sunny skies, according to the Weather Service.