Lake-Effect Snow — Geauga, Ohio

2025-01-19 to 2025-01-20 · Geauga, Ohio

Event narrative

As an area of low pressure deepened off the northern Mid Atlantic coast, cold north to northwesterly winds across the partially unfrozen waters of Lake Erie brought accumulating lake effect snow to Northeast Ohio. The heaviest snow rates and greatest snow rates occurred with a band of snow with a connection to Lake Huron, that set up across the Cleveland area during the late morning and early afternoon hours on January 19th and pivoted east through Geauga County during the afternoon and early evening. Snow rates of up to 2 inches per hour were reported by trained spotters beneath this band, with very low visibility and rapid snow accumulations leading to accidents. Moderate to heavy snow showers continued at times into that night, before becoming less organized by the morning of January 20th and gradually ended from west to east. A peak snowfall of 8 inches was reported by a Cooperative Observer in Chardon and by a trained spotter in Thompson Township. A spotter in Novelty measured 7.3 inches of snow, with 6 inches reported in Russell Township.

Wider weather episode

As an area of low pressure deepened off the northern Mid Atlantic coast, cold north to northwesterly winds across the partially unfrozen waters of Lake Erie brought accumulating lake effect snow to Northeast Ohio. The heaviest snow rates and greatest snow rates occurred with a band of snow with a connection to Lake Huron, that setup across the Cleveland area during the late morning and early afternoon hours on January 19th and pivoted east through the primary snowbelt east of Cleveland through the evening. Snow rates of up to 2 inches per hour were reported by trained spotters beneath this band, with very low visibility and rapid snow accumulations leading to accidents. Snow became less organized by the morning of January 20th and gradually ended from west to east. Snowfall amounts of 8 inches were reported in Chardon and Thompson, with 7.4 inches reported in Pepper Pike.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1267297. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.