The Richland County Sheriff’s Office reported a Level 2 Snow Emergency for Richland County at 8:23 a.m. on Saturday. A Level 2 means 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.
For Saturday, snowfall accumulations were expected to range from 2 to 4 inches over most of the area with higher amounts possible locally. At 11:45 a.m. the Weather Channel reported 3.9 inches for Mansfield. Blowing snow makes accumulations apprea even greater.
Northern Ohio including Ashland, Crawford, Knox, Morrow, and Richland counties are included in this winter storm system. At 3:25 a.m. the National Weather Service in Cleveland reported that a winter weather advisory remains in effect until 10 p.m. tonight.
Snow will continue this morning and then begin to diminish from west to east this afternoon. Some lake effect snow is likely tonight. The winds be from the southwest at 20 to 30 mph with gusts to 35 mph this morning. Winds will shift to the west and eventually northwest by this evening while diminishing to 15 to 20 mph.
The temperatures are expected to rise to the lower 20s and then fall to the single digits tonight. Wind chills between 5 and 5 above can be expected today and may fall to -10 tonight.
Driving visibilities through Saturday evening was expected to be poor, and blowing snow made roadways dangerous.
According to Mansfield’s State Highway Patrol, the highway section between SR 39 and SR 545 was closed today. The closure was due to damage tosignage by a semi-truck.
The following is a list of school event cancellations:
Clear Fork middle school OCC wrestling tournament and girls jv basketball game vs Orville
Clear Fork girls basketball with Orville, Boys basketball vs West Holmes
Lexington schools: all events
Crestivew: all school athletics
Lucas Schools all Saturday activities
Madison girls basketball
Mansfield Christian boys JV & varsity vs South Central
Mansfield vs Lexington girls jv & varisty basketball postponed
Ontario boys basketball at Sandusky postponed
Plymouth-Shiloh: all athletic activities
Richland Academy: all classes, Father/Daughter Ball canceled
Madison: all school events canceled today and tonight
Mansfield City Schools freshman boys basketball
St. Peter’s: all elementary and junior high sports, OMEA District 10 solo and ensemble and girls varsity basketball at Loundonville
Temple Christian: all events