As lake effect snow reaches the Northeast this weekend, Ohio and Pennsylvania transportation officials are advising drivers to avoid travel unless absolutely essential.
At midnight on Thanksgiving, NW Pennsylvania and northeast Ohio were placed under a lake effect snow warning, according to NWS meteorologists. Up to 18 inches of snow could fall throughout the warning’s duration, which ends Saturday AM.
Both the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) “strongly encourage motorists to heed all travel restrictions and delay unnecessary travel,” the warning stated.
“A multiday lake effect snow event off Lake Erie will begin tonight and bring periodic heavy snow to the region,” the warning issued by the NWS office in Cleveland, Ohio, stated. “These heavy lake effect snow bands will bring occasional 1 to 2 inch per hour snowfall rates and poor visibility, as low as one quarter of a mile, which will make travel difficult to impossible, especially along Interstates 90, 86, and 79.”
Any post-holiday travel, including Friday morning and evening commutes, will probably be impacted by winter weather.
“Persons should consider delaying all travel,” according to the warning. “If travel is absolutely necessary, drive with extreme caution. Consider taking a winter storm kit along with you, including such items as tire chains, booster cables, flashlight, shovel, blankets and extra clothing. Also take water, a first aid kit, and anything else that would help you survive in case you become stranded.”
The warning continued by stating that the severity of lake effect snow can vary, with dry weather occurring a few miles away from bands of locally heavy precipitation.
“Be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions,” according to the warning.
Roads in the Cleveland area appeared to be clean ahead of the storm as of Thursday afternoon. Although ODOT intends to “keep roads passable,” plows won’t be able to keep the roads clear until snowfall rates reach 1 to 2 inches per hour, according to ODOT press secretary Matt Bruning.
In anticipation of the winter storm, PennDOT said in a news statement on Thursday that it will temporarily limit traffic on the area’s interstates.
Interstate 79 from Exit 147 (Route 19/Route 322/Route 6/Meadville) to the end of I-79 in Erie County, Interstate 86 from I-90 to the New York state line, and Interstate 90 from the Ohio state line to the New York state line will all be subject to Tier 1 vehicle restrictions starting at 1 a.m. local time on Friday.
Tractors without trailers, tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers, or tank trailers, tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers, enclosed unloaded or lightly loaded cargo delivery trucks/box trucks that constitute a CMV, passenger vehicles (cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers, recreational vehicles/motorhomes, school buses, commercial buses, and motor coaches, and motorcycles are among the vehicles prohibited on the affected roads under Tier 1 restrictions.
Restrictions will be raised to Tier 4, which covers all commercial vehicles, early on Friday morning. There are currently no plans for a Tier 5, which would cover all passenger cars.
