CLEVELAND, Ohio — Northeast Ohio is staring down an active stretch of December weather, with several rounds of rain, snow and strong winds expected to sweep through the region this week.

Before the mess arrives, Monday offers a quiet but frigid calm before the storms. High pressure over the Great Lakes will keep conditions mostly dry, though temperatures will lag well below normal and be stuck in the 20s with wind chills in the teens.

Overnight lows will fall into the teens and even upper single digits, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland.

Snow showers could return as early as Tuesday as a weak clipper system slips by to the north and sends a warm front across the region. Any accumulation looks minimal, but it’s the opening act for a stronger system arriving Tuesday night into Wednesday.

Midweek storm: Rain and snow, with wind

The midweek storm will start as snow before warmer air is pulled into Northeast Ohio and changes over to rain for most of the area by Wednesday morning.

Rain will continue throughout the afternoon as temperatures rise to near 40 degrees. A strong low-level jet could push wind gusts to 40 to 45 mph, creating a wet and windy day across the region.

A cold front trailing the system will sweep through later Wednesday, flipping rain back to snow and setting up lake-effect chances into Wednesday night and Thursday. Light accumulations are possible across the region, with a better shot at 1 to 2 inches in the primary snowbelt east of Cleveland.

Snow may linger into Thursday, especially in the snowbelt where lake-enhanced bands could persist, before high pressure briefly returns Thursday night.

Another round of snow possible Friday

Forecast models show another low-pressure system sliding through the Great Lakes on Friday, bringing a fresh chance for widespread light snow and reinforcing the cold air already in place.

While snowfall amounts remain uncertain, it marks the start of another potentially messy stretch heading into the weekend.

Lake-effect machine may kick back on this weekend

Behind Friday’s system, colder air spilling over Lake Erie may reignite lake-effect snow Saturday and Sunday. The exact placement and intensity of the bands are still uncertain — models vary widely — but traditional snowbelt areas east of Cleveland have the best shot at accumulating snow.

Forecasters say some clues even hint at the potential for more significant lake-effect totals, if the colder pattern sets in.

Temperatures will stay below normal through the weekend, keeping the wintry pattern firmly in place as December continues.

WOODSFIELD, Ohio (WTVG) – An Ohio man accidentally sent methamphetamine through a bank’s drive-thru air tube system, authorities said.

Investigators said Jason Smith, 46, unknowingly sent the drugs in a baggie through the air tube during a transaction on Dec. 3.

Ohio Department of Natural Resource Officers helped track him down after he left the bank, according to the sheriff’s office in Monroe County, Ohio. Deputies said they found additional suspected drugs and drug-related items in his truck.

Smith was arrested and transported to the Monroe County, Ohio jail.

“Illegal drugs don’t belong in bank drive-thrus — but they can be turned in at the Sheriff’s Office. No charges, no handcuffs, just help,“ Monroe County Sheriff Derek Norman said. ”We’d much rather safely take them off the street than see another unexpected ‘deposit.’”

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There may be no better job in college football history than what Curt Cignetti has accomplished, taking an Indiana program that had the most all-time losses to a 13-0 season and Big Ten championship after beating reigning champ Ohio State.

As a result, AP top 25 voters were left with an easy decision when compiling the updated college football rankings moving into the playoff and bowl season.

They assigned all of their first-place votes to the Hoosiers, who predictably moved to the top of the rankings in a notable shake-up around the top-five that also saw SEC champion Georgia rise.

Where does that leave everything else in the updated top 25 college football rankings heading into the 2025 postseason?

Let’s take a look at what teams moved up, and down, and who stayed put moving into the College Football Playoff and Bowl Season, according to AP top 25 voters.

AP top 25 rankings for Bowl Season

First-place votes in parentheses

1. Indiana (66)
2. Georgia
3. Ohio State
4. Texas Tech
5. Oregon
6. Ole Miss
7. Texas A&M
8. Oklahoma
9. Notre Dame
10. Miami
11. Alabama
12. BYU
13. Vanderbilt
14. Texas
15. Utah
16. USC
17. Tulane
18. Michigan
19. James Madison
20. Virginia
21. Arizona
22. Navy
23. North Texas
24. Georgia Tech
25. Missouri

How did we do? Our prediction for the AP top 25 rankings

AP top 25 biggest movers

Indiana (Up 1). The historic Hoosiers moved up 1 spot from No. 2 to the top of the rankings after finishing a 13-0 season by beating undefeated Ohio State to win the Big Ten championship.

Ohio State (Down 2). The reigning national champions were just three points worse than Indiana on the field, and despite the tough loss to end the season, are still a favorite to win another title.

Georgia (Up 1). For the second-straight year, the Bulldogs are SEC champions, this time taking out Alabama to move up 1 place in the rankings and clinch a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

Miami (Up 2). The idle Hurricanes took advantage of losses by higher-ranked Alabama and BYU to move back into the top-ten as playoff selection nears.

Tulane (Up 4). Champions of the American Conference, the Green Wave are the highest-ranked Group of Five team in the playoff, too.

North Texas (Down 3). Runners-up in the American Conference, the Mean Green failed to get their offense together against Tulane, but have done enough to stay in the rankings.

Other teams receiving votes

These teams got votes on AP top 25 ballots, but not enough to be included in the rankings this week

Houston 82, Iowa 74, Tennessee 61, New Mexico 21, Duke 18, Boise State 16, UNLV 10, USF 10, SMU 8, Arizona St. 6, Louisville 6, UConn 5, Washington 4, Pittsburgh 3, Kennesaw State 3, Illinois 2, Iowa State 2, Western Michigan 1, TCU 1.

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