With feet of snow piling up east of the Great Lakes, travel disruptions will continue through the early week. A cold air mass is moving into the North Central states on Wednesday night, bringing hazardous travel conditions to areas as far south as western Pennsylvania.
The first significant lake-effect snow event is underway across the Great Lakes and interior Northeast, with additional heavy snowfall expected to add to the totals. On Tuesday, frigid air will continue to produce bands of snow along the southern and eastern shorelines of the Great Lakes, leading to treacherous travel conditions.
Already, snowfall reports have ranged from 12-24 inches in some areas, with up to 3 feet in others. Road closures have occurred on I-90 and I-86 in northwestern Pennsylvania, and I-90 in northeastern Ohio. The Erie area has recorded a maximum 24-hour snowfall total of 22.6 inches.
Travelers are advised to monitor the AccuWeather forecast and stay weather-aware for rapidly changing conditions. Mopeds and motorists who become stranded could be at risk of hypothermia and multi-vehicle pileups.
The coldest air of the season will continue to move south, bringing temperatures in the teens to 30s Fahrenheit in some areas, with real-feel temperatures even lower. Blustery winds have been blowing across the region, but forecasters say they will subside slightly on Tuesday.
On Tuesday, a pattern of lake-effect snow will persist across the Great Lakes, with snow showers and heavy snowfall expected. High temperatures will reach the 20s and 30s Fahrenheit in the region. A separate storm is forecast to impact the Midwest, Great Lakes, and Northeast from Tuesday to Thursday, bringing new bands of heavy lake-effect snow and heavy snow squalls.