OHIO — Accumulating snow is possible across parts of Northeast Ohio on Friday. Some snow maps on social media show as much as 10 inches across northern Ohio, but those numbers are not likely based on the current setup. Forecast models have changed a lot over the last 48 hours. The system is worth watching, but there is no reason to panic yet.
Wintry Mix Possible From Cleveland to Canton
Current thinking points to a wintry mix across Northeast Ohio on Friday, including the Cleveland and Canton areas. The mix could include rain, snow, and other wintry precipitation, depending on how temperatures change during the day.
The eastern snowbelt communities, especially the higher elevations east of Cleveland toward the Pennsylvania border, have the best chance to see snow pile up. Early accumulations would most likely start on grassy and elevated surfaces before roads.
Two Pieces of Energy Need to Phase for a Bigger Storm
A larger snow event would need two weather features to come together. An upper-level trough would have to combine, or “phase,” with a separate piece of energy moving in from the Colorado region.
If the two features meet at the right time and place, accumulating snow could develop across parts of the region. If they come together too late, the setup becomes much less favorable for an organized storm. In that case, snowflakes could still fly, but a scattered mix of rain, snow, and wintry precipitation would be more likely.
Model Guidance Has Been Extremely Volatile
Forecast models have been very inconsistent over the past two days. One model run shows a big snowstorm, and the next one moves the system, weakens it, or changes the precipitation type completely…