Twin storm fronts between Nov. 29 and Dec. 3 threaten much of Cleveland, its suburbs and out-of-state cities such as Erie and Buffalo.
In Cuyahoga County, the National Weather Service has been warning of a winter storm making landfall since Nov. 27. Updated winter storm advisories are in effect for Cuyahoga, Ashtabula and Lake Counties until the morning of Dec. 3.
Even with the moderate snowfall seen in Cuyahoga County, Geauga, Lake and Ashtabula Counties have faced far worse weather since Nov. 29. Some cities,like Mentor, Painesville, Ashtabula and Conneaut, could see a further accumulation betweens seven and 16 inches before Dec. 3.
In preparation, Dominic Vitale ’26, a native of Mentor, Ohio, drove to school early over the weekend to avoid worsening storms. He is hoping for class cancellations to “take extra time to study for finals.”
Erie County, Pa. is expected to face further extreme snowfall. Aidan Samueloff ‘27, a resident of Erie County describes the weather as “absolutely wild.” Faced with three and a half feet of lake-effect snow, he woke up near dawn on Nov. 30 to shovel snow with his father. With the exceptional accumulation, it took him “at least until 3:30 p.m. to get things clear.”
Their experience was not unique, as Gov. Joshua Shapiro of Pennsylvania declared a disaster emergency for the northwest region of the state, allowing state agencies like the state’s Department of Transportation and Emergency Management Agency increaseddiscretion. It allows for uninhibited coordination with local organizers to help those seeking assistance in the snow, or needing roads, rails and highways cleared of snow.
In New York, Gov. Kathy Hochul also declared a state of emergency, placing 6,000 plow workers and national guardsmen on standbyin preparation for the coming new storms
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has yet to make a similar declaration,espite four counties all being under a national weather advisory. Responding to the dire situation, Ashtabula’s County Board Commissioners declared a county emergency through a post on Facebook. posted a notice on Facebook, They urge those without the resources to fend off a potential “five feet of snow” to evacuate to safety.
Fearing for the safety of drivers, especially on Dec. 2, Shapiro asked “Anyone who can, stay off the roads.” This followed a ruling by Pennsylvania’s Department of Transportation, where “Interstate 90 eastbound and westbound lanes from Interstate 79 to the New York state line” and “Interstate 86 westbound lanes from I-90 to the New York state line” would be closed until further notice. A partial reopening is currently in effect.
This closure has massively changed transportation between Ohio and New York, as Buffalo residents now have to take highways south towards State College, Pa., and west to Youngstown before heading north to Cleveland. This adds not only four hours of travel time but also (roughly) one hundred and fifty miles of toll roads through the most expensive state to drive through in the nation. It is not unlikely that some students will be forced to stay home.
Addressing these travel concerns across Cleveland and beyond, John Carroll University’s Board of Directors sent an email to students stressing that “We do not want any student, faculty or staff member to put themselves in danger, so those whose travel is affected by the weather should use their judgment about when it’s safe to return.” Despite the statement, there is no closure or delay of activities at the university, as JCU is “open for business.”
There are several concerns when it comes to this set of storms.he common theme is to stay off the roads, if you are able, and to stay warm and safe.
