Lake-Effect Snow — Lake, Ohio

2024-12-01 to 2024-12-03 · Lake, Ohio

Event narrative

After a brief break in the lake effect during much of the day and into the night of November 30th, lake effect returned by early in the morning December 1st as winds shifted out of the west-northwest, directing lake effect bands back onshore across the primary snowbelt of far northeastern Ohio. Lake effect snow, heavy at times, continued through December 2nd before coming to an end that night. One last brief burst of accumulating snow occurred during the day of December 3rd, though these amounts did not reach heavy snow criteria. On top of the already significant impacts felt from the lake effect that occurred at the end of November, this additional snowfall prolonged snow removal and general recovery efforts, while also leading to additional damage caused by the weight of the snow on structures, with additional roof collapses reported as snow continued to add up the first days of December. The heaviest snow occurred between the early morning and evening hours of December 1st, when snow rates exceeded 2 inches per hour within snow bands, leading to nearly impossible travel conditions. A trained spotter in Concord reported 22.4 inches of additional snowfall during the window of heavy snow from December 1st into the 2nd. Other totals reported by spotters in this time period include 19.9 inches in Mentor, 18.6 inches in Mentor-on-the-Lake, 18.4 inches in LeRoy Township, 16.3 inches in Madison Township, 15.3 inches in Kirtland, and 14.5 inches in Eastlake. A CoCoRaHS observer in Willoughby measured 18.6 inches of snow. This pushed 5-day snowfall totals, including the first lake effect event that began on November 28th and some lingering activity through December 3rd, to the following amounts: 45 inches in North Madison, 40 inches in LeRoy Township, 36.1 inches in Madison Township, 34.1 inches in Concord, 29.2 inches in Mentor, 27.8 inches in Perry Township, 25.4 inches in Mentor-on-the-Lake, 24 inches in Willoughby, and 20.8 inches in Kirtland.

Wider weather episode

After a brief break in the lake effect during much of the day and into the night of November 30th, lake effect returned by early in the morning December 1st as winds shifted out of the west-northwest, directing lake effect bands back onshore across the primary snowbelt of far northeastern Ohio. Lake effect snow, heavy at times, continued through December 2nd before coming to an end that night. On top of the already significant impacts felt from the lake effect that occurred at the end of November, this additional snowfall prolonged snow removal and general recovery efforts, while also leading to additional damage caused by the weight of the snow on structures, with additional roof collapses reported as snow continued to add up the first days of December. Snow was particularly intense across Lake County during the day on December 1st, when snow rates of 2 inches per hour or higher occurred, crippling travel. A trained spotter in Concord reported an additional 22.4 inches of snow with this second portion of the prolonged lake effect event. Other select spotter reports include: 20.7 inches in Saybrook, 19.9 inches in Mentor, and 15 inches in Thompson. This pushed 5-day snowfall totals, including the first lake effect event that began on November 28th and some lingering activity through December 3rd, to up to 5 feet in extreme Northeast Ohio. Selected 5-day totals include: 63.2 inches in Saybrook. 50.5 inches in Geneva, 45 inches in North Madison, 34.1 inches in Concord, 33 inches in Thompson, and 29.2 inches in Mentor.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1260136. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.