Holiday weekend will deliver Erie hazardous cold, high winds, white Christmas

Batten down the hatches for a multi-hazard winter storm coming to northwestern Pennsylvania for Christmas weekend.

The National Weather Service in Cleveland has issued a winter storm warning in effect from Friday at 1 a.m. through Sunday at 4 p.m. Residents of Erie and Crawford counties, and Ashtabula County, Ohio, can expect a combination of strong winds, below-freezing temperatures, snow and blowing snow. The greatest snow accumulations, 6 inches to 15 inches depending on location, are likely to occur in Erie County.

Winds could gust as high as 65 mph and wind-chill values could be as low as 30 below zero. There is a wind-chill warning in place from Friday at 4 a.m. until Saturday at 10 a.m.

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The winter storm warning forecasts brief, intense snowfall Friday between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. as well as a sharp drop in temperatures at that time, leading to the likelihood of a flash freeze.

Winds will increase Friday, causing blowing snow and creating potentially hazardous travel conditions. Winds could cause tree and power-line damage.

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Temperatures could remain in the single digits from Friday through Sunday. Frozen pipes could be a concern.

Current conditions

As the storm moves across the country, Erie County already is feeling its effects on travel. United Flight 3773 from Erie International Airport to Chicago O'Hare International Airport was delayed from its 7:04 a.m. departure time Thursday, according to the Erie airport's flight tracker. United Flight 3781, scheduled to arrive in Erie from O'Hare Thursday night at 10:33, has been canceled.

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Amtrak has canceled service on a number of routes including Thursday and Friday's Lake Shore Limited Trains 48/448 and 49/449 that serve Erie.

Greyhound has issued service alerts for disruptions to services in some places including Cleveland. Check bustracker.greyhound.com for status updates for service to and from Erie.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation will place a Tier I vehicle restriction on Interstate 90 in Erie County starting Friday at 4 a.m.

Under Tier 1 restrictions, the following vehicles are not permitted on affected roadways:

• Tractors without trailers;

• Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded enclosed trailers, open trailers or tank trailers;

• Tractors towing unloaded or lightly loaded tandem trailers;

• Enclosed unloaded or lightly loaded cargo delivery trucks/box trucks that meet the definition of a CMV;

• Passenger vehicles (cars, SUV’s, pickup trucks, etc.) towing trailers;

• Recreational vehicles/motorhomes;

• School buses, commercial buses and motor coaches; and

• motorcycles.

“Our preparations for the storm include plans to shift resources and crews as needed handle the changing weather conditions throughout the region, which includes Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango, and Warren counties,” said Doug Schofield, PennDOT assistant district executive/maintenance. “Salt, anti-skid and other materials are in good supply and crews will work around the clock, even on the holidays, to keep the roads safe and passable.”

The New York State Thruway will ban tandem and empty trucks/trailers on I-90 from Exit 46 at Henrietta to the Pennsylvania line and on Interstate 190 starting Friday.

More: Over 1,200 US flights canceled as winter storm hits the nation with snow, high winds

White Christmas for northwestern Pennsylvania?

The forecast from the weather service in Cleveland starts with rain on Thursday, mainly after 3 p.m., plus a high around 42. Winds will be from the southeast at 16 to 20 mph, gusting as high as 30 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

By around 5 a.m. Friday, rain will start to transition to snow. Expect widespread blowing snow, mainly between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., and a temperature plunge to around 5 by 5 p.m. Winds will be from the southwest at 29 to 34 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph. New snow accumulation of 2 inches to 4 inches is possible.

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Snow will continue Friday night, accumulating an additional 3 inches to 5 inches. The low be near 3. Southeast winds will increase to 34 to 40 mph, with gusts as high as 60 mph.

Saturday will bring more snow, with an additional inch to 3 inches in the forecast. The high is forecast around 16. Winds will be 30 to 34 mph from the southwest, with gusts as high as 55 mph. Another 2 inches to 4 inches of snow is forecast Saturday night, when the low will be around 10.

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There is a 100% chance of snow showers on Christmas Day, when the high should be around 20. Breezy conditions will continue.

The low will fall to around 11 Sunday, when there is an 80% chance of snow showers. That falls to 50% Monday, when the high will be around 22.

Winter storm warning for Chautauqua County, New York

The weather service in Buffalo has issued a winter storm warning for Chautauqua County, New York, as well as a lakeshore flood watch, both starting Friday at 7 a.m.

Winds gusting as high as 60 mph on Friday could lead to a rapid rise in water levels and lakeshore flooding along Lake Erie and the Upper Niagara River, according to the weather service. Flooding is possible along Route 5 in Hamburg, Dunkirk Harbor and other flood-prone locations.

Temperatures in the teens and single digits will likely result in a flash freeze Friday. From Friday afternoon on, strong winds, heavy lake-effect snow and significant blowing and drifting snow are possible. Localized blizzard conditions are possible. The forecast calls for 1 foot to 2 feet of snow in the most persistent conditions.

How this hazardous weather could affect you

Travel could be difficult to impossible, according to the National Weather Service. The hazardous conditions could severely affect the Friday morning commute and holiday travel plans.

The combination of single-digit temperatures with the strong winds would allow for a long period of wind chills well below zero and increase exposure risk and infrastructure concerns across the area.

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In addition, the low wind chills could cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 30 minutes.

For the latest forecast, weather alerts and radar images for the Erie area, visit goerie.com/weather.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie weather: Winter storm warning calls for blowing snow, bitter cold