A heavy snowstorm may arrive uninvited at several Pennsylvania Thanksgiving meals this year.
The National Weather Service has issued a Wind Advisory and a Lake Effect Snow Warning for northeastern Pennsylvania and parts of Ohio.
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Wind gusts of 30 to 50 miles per hour are forecast to begin Wednesday in northern Erie County and continue through Thursday night.
The advisory further states that “Heavy lake effect snow is expected” in northwestern Pennsylvania overnight on Wednesday.
“Total snow accumulations between 8 and 12 inches are likely over much of the area,” according to the forecast. “Locally higher amounts are possible across inland Erie County, PA, where a few locations could see up to 18 inches of snow.”
According to WJET, the lake effect will influence Pennsylvania’s Erie, McKean, and Warren counties. The National Weather Service predicts that Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Lake, Lakeshore, and Lorain counties in Ohio will be impacted.
“Erie County snow accumulations potentially reaching 8-12 inches and upwards of 18 inches for some areas,” adds WJET, “while Warren and McKean counties are expected to get between 6-12 inches.”
Lake-effect snow occurs when water vapor from a warmer lake collects, freezes, and turns into snow while being carried by a colder air mass passing over it.
The worst snowfall is forecast on Thursday, and it could be severe enough to knock down power lines.
People in the affected areas are advised not to travel if possible, as roads (particularly bridges and overpasses) may become slick, visibility will be reduced, and fast-accumulating snow may make movement impossible.
Lake-effect snow is extremely difficult to forecast, and the National Weather Service cautions residents in the region to “be prepared for rapid changes in weather, visibility, and road conditions.”
