The region is starting the first day of astronomical winter with a winter storm watch slated to go into effect at 2 a.m. Thursday and last until 10 a.m. Christmas Day. The National Weather Service (NWS) forecast office in Cleveland says to expect damaging winds with gusts of up to 60 mph near the lakeshore and wind chills of minus 25 to minus 30. Rain early in the storm will "abruptly" change to snow Thursday night into Friday, likely causing a flash freeze. Though lake-effect snow will continue into the weekend, the NWS currently says accumulation "in excess of 4 inches" is possible, with blowing snow hindering visibility.
With the brunt of the storm occurring on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, what the NWS doesn't say outright is there's also a chance that plans for holiday gatherings will be disrupted or obliterated. "Travel could be very difficult to impossible," NWS Cleveland said in its statement issued at 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Daytime highs will range from 32 on Friday to 17 on Saturday and 18 on Sunday, with lows ranging from 7 Friday night and 10 on Saturday night. Hazards include power outages, fallen trees, frozen pipes, and frostbite, which could occur on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.
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