Cleveland, OH – The National Weather Service in Cleveland has issued multiple special weather statements Thursday evening, warning of dangerous driving conditions across northern and central Ohio due to black ice and intense lake effect snow.
According to the National Weather Service, light snow earlier this evening left many roads wet, and rapidly falling temperatures are now freezing that moisture, creating patches of black ice. Several accidents have already been reported, particularly on bridges, overpasses, and untreated secondary roads.
In addition, a strong lake effect snow band is moving east across Cuyahoga, Geauga, Portage, Lorain, and Summit counties. Radar indicated the heaviest snow near Lakewood and Cleveland around 7:30 p.m., with visibility dropping to less than a quarter mile and wind gusts reaching 30 mph. The snow band is expected to shift east through late evening, potentially affecting communities in the Cleveland metro, Solon, Hudson, Twinsburg, and Ravenna areas.
Drivers are urged to reduce speed and allow extra travel time. Conditions are expected to remain slick overnight into Friday morning, with the risk of black ice lingering until temperatures rise above freezing.
