The National Weather Service in Cleveland issued an URGENT winter weather message at 9:36 p.m. on Saturday. The message warns that a winter storm system will move northeast across Ohio on Sunday, spreading snow across the entire area. A strong artic front will follow, ushering in bitter cold arctic air for the beginning of the week. The warning includes snow and dangerously low wind chills.
The Winter Storm Warning remains in effect from 6 p.m. Sunday to 5 p.m. on Monday. The Wind Chill Warning remains in effect from 5 p.m. Monday to 9 a.m. on Wednesday. The snow will begin by mid-morning Sunday with the heaviest snow expected to fall between 5 p.m. and midnight. Snow will continue into early Monday morning but will decrease in intensity.
The Weather Service states that the main concern after midnight on Sunday will be strong westerly winds that will usher frigid air into the region. Dangerous wind chills of 20 to 40 degrees below zero will be possible along with drifting snow.
Accumulations of snowfall on Sunday are expected to be 1-3 inches. Snowfall on Sunday night is expected to be from 3 to 5 inches with storm totals of 4 to 8 inches.
Visibility will drop to below a half mile at times in the heaviest snowfall on Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening. As stronger winds, up to 35 mph develop after midnight, visibility may drop to near zero in blowing snow.
Temperatures are expected to drop below zero on Monday remain near or below zero into Wednesday. Morning lows on Tuesday will be in the teens below zero on Tuesday morning. It may take 10 minutes or less to get frostbite on exposed skin during the storm on Monday into Tuesday.
The affected areas include Ashland, Holmes, Knox, Mahoning, Medina, Morrow, Portage, Richland, Trumball, Stark, and Wayne counties. It includes the cities of Akron, Ashland, Canton, Medina, Mansfield, Millersburg, Mount Gilead, Mount Vernon, Warren, and Youngstown.