Winter storm warning still in place for Erie County. How much more snow will we get?

Staff report
·2 min read

Can you say lake-effect snow?

The National Weather Service forecasting office in Cleveland can — and has, yet again.

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Erie County is under a winter storm warning through 1 p.m. Wednesday. The weather service forecasts an additional 1 inch to 3 inches of snow, with the heaviest snow expected through 10 a.m., creating potentially hazardous conditions during the morning commute.

Erie County has been under a winter weather advisory since Tuesday afternoon. It was the county's second advisory in the past four days and one in a lengthening string of them this month.

About 30 inches of snow have fallen in the region this season, as measured at the Erie International Airport, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland.

Christina Katen walks along an unplowed West Fourth Street in the Frontier neighborhood in Erie, on Wednesay. The region saw more lake-effect weather overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, with about eight inches of snow on the ground in Erie by midday. The light, fluffy snow was welcomed by Katen, 43, and her son Jude Katen, 6, not pictured. "It's beautiful," said Christina Katen of the light, fluffy snow. It's like living in a snowglobe." Christina Katen was returning home after dropping Jude Katen off at nearby Erie Day School, where he is a kindergartener. Jude got a ride to school from his mom in his sled, which she then had to carry home.

A winter weather advisory is also in effect for Ashtabula County, Ohio. And the weather service in Buffalo has issued a winter weather advisory for Chautauqua County, New York, through 10 a.m. Wednesday that calls for an additional 2 inches of accumulation.

On the back end of the forecasted snow will come plummeting temperatures; the low Wednesday night is expected to be around 6, with wind chill values as low as minus 5.

Snow showers are expected to resume Thursday after 4 p.m. Little or no snow accumulation is expected, though, according to the weather service.

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A PennDOT plow truck clears snow Wednesday in the 2700 block of West Twelfth Street in Millcreek Township. About 30 inches of snow have fallen in the region this season, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland.
A PennDOT plow truck clears snow Wednesday in the 2700 block of West Twelfth Street in Millcreek Township. About 30 inches of snow have fallen in the region this season, according to the National Weather Service in Cleveland.

Roadways

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, speed limits will be temporarily reduced on Interstates 86 and 90 in Erie County due to poor weather conditions, according to a PennDOT news release Wednesday.

PennDOT is urging drivers to avoid unnecessary travel. Those who must head out will see speeds reduced to 45 mph on the following roadways:

  • Interstate 86 from the from the New York state line to Exit 1A (I-90 East/Buffalo)

  • Interstate 90 from the Ohio state line to the New York state line

PennDOT advised that Interstate 90 westbound is closed from the Interstate 79 interchange to Exit 16 (Route 98, Fairview/Franklin Center) due to a tractor-trailer crash.

Interstate 90 westbound is also closed from Exit 35 (Route 531, Harborcreek) to Exit 32 (Route 290, Wesleyville) due to a tractor trailer crash, according to PennDOT.

The roadways will reopen once the crashes are cleared.

Drivers can check conditions on major roadways by visiting 511PA.com.

Get the latest AccuWeather weather forecast and radar for your ZIP code at goerie.com/weather. Sign up for news alerts at profile.goerie.com/newsletters/manage to receive daily weather forecasts by text.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Lake-effect snow is in the forecast. How much will Erie County PA get?