Lake-Effect Snow — Portage, Ohio

2024-12-05 to 2024-12-06 · Portage, Ohio

Event narrative

An arctic cold front blasted through Northeastern Ohio shortly after midnight December 5th. A band of snow squalls accompanied this front, with wind gusts over 40 MPH measured. Nearby Akron Fulton Airport reported thundersnow and a 41 MPH wind gust with this squall. Lake effect snow quickly developed into the morning of the 5th as winds shifted more northwesterly and temperatures fell into the 20s behind this front. The main window of impactful snow and blowing snow occurred during the morning hours on the 5th with significant impacts to the morning commute. During the commute, 30 to 40 MPH wind gusts combined with moderate to heavy falling snow and tumbling temperatures to lead to significantly reduced visibility and very difficult travel conditions. Many local school districts closed, especially across northern portions of the county. After a relative lull during the late morning and into the afternoon hours, additional lake effect snow bands developed late in the afternoon with impacts to the evening commute, persisting into the nighttime hours. Snow gradually lost organization and intensity through the early morning hours of the 6th, with snow showers producing minimal accumulation continuing through the 6th. The peak total snow from this event was 14.5 inches, measured by a trained spotter in Streetsboro and a CoCoRaHS observer in Hiram. A spotter in Aurora measured 7.6 inches of snow, with another spotter in Ravenna reporting 5.1 inches. Other reports from CoCoRaHS observers include 9.5 inches in Mantua and 5.8 inches in Kent. Amounts were generally 4 inches or less across the southern half of the county with lesser impacts.

Wider weather episode

An arctic cold front blasted through Northeastern Ohio around and shortly after midnight December 5th. A band of snow squalls accompanied this front, with wind gusts of 50 to 60 MPH measured and visibility below one-quarter of a mile reported. Lake effect snow quickly developed into the morning of the 5th as winds shifted more northwesterly and temperatures fell through the 20s behind this front. An initial burst of lake effect snow occurred during the early to mid-morning hours on the 5th, with rates up to 1 inch per hour and 35 to 45 MPH wind gusts. This led to significant impacts to the morning commute, with hundreds of local school districts closing for the day and whiteout conditions and drifting snow reported. After a lull, lake effect snow turned moderate to heavy again during the afternoon and evening hours, leading to impacts to the evening commute. The lake effect snow gradually became less intense and more disorganized by early in the morning on December 6th as winds also subsided significantly. The peak snowfall from this event was 17.5 inches, measured by a CoCoRaHS observer in Middlefield. Other select totals from spotters include 15 inches in Chester Township, 14.1 inches in Russell Township, 14 inches in Richmond Township, 12.5 inches in Burton, 12 inches in Orwell, 11.5 inches in Kirtland, 11.2 inches in Southington, 10.1 inches in Sagamore Hills, and 8.7 inches in Chagrin Falls. A Cooperative Observer in Chardon measured 15 inches of snow. A CoCoRaHS observer in Hiram measured 14.5 inches of snow.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1260150. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.