WINTER STORM WATCH ISSUED

The National Weather Service in Cleveland has issued a WINTER STORM WATCH for Lorain and surrounding counties. The WATCH will be in effect from Sunday afternoon through Wednesday evening.

A strong storm system will move across the Central Great Lakes Region this weekend. In the wake of the storm system very cold air will arrive on gusty Northwesterly winds. The lake effect machine will begin by Monday morning with significant snowfall expected across an area north of a line from Oberlin to Medina to around Youngstown. After the lake effect snow begins Monday morning it will likely persist until at least late Wednesday evening.

Snowfall totals across all of the watch area should be a foot or more through Wednesday. The usual higher terrain areas of northeast Ohio into northwest Pennsylvania could see 2 or more feet of snowfall. The strong winds will cause significant blowing and drifting of the snow, especially Monday into Tuesday.

Wind gusts may be as high as 50 MPH Sunday night into Monday. These winds will also assist in keeping wind chills in a range from ZERO to 15 DEGREES BELOW ZERO through Tuesday.