**This story has been archived
Thursday, November 17, 2022
CLEVELAND (WJW) – As predicted, the FOX 8 Weather Team spent most of Thursday morning tracking lake-effect snow that impacted roadways in Ashtabula, Lake and Geauga County.
Meteorologist Scott Sabol said some small areas of Northern Ashtabula County could end up with more than a foot of snow, although much of the FOX 8 viewing area will not see significant impacts.
Below are updates road conditions, school closures, and other snow-related conditions:
2 p.m. I-90 westbound west of State Route 7 is now open. I-90 eastbound east of State Route 7 is also open, according to ODOT.
10:30 a.m. I-90 remains closed in both directions between State Route 11 and State Route 7. The highway closed down earlier due to a crash.
Thousands in Ashtabula also remain without power. Estimated restoration times, according to First Energy, are between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Lake effect snow will linger throughout the day. The main Snowbelt regions expect 6-9″. A foot (or more) is possible in some places.
9:30 a.m. Interstate 90 is now closed in both directions. According to ODOT, eastbound and westbound lanes between State Route 11 and SR 7 are closed due to a crash. Motorists are advised to avoid this area. For the latest on traffic conditions, click here.
Also, nearly 40 NE Ohio school districts closed or were delayed due to wintry conditions. The full list can be found, here.
9:00 a.m. First Energy is reporting more power outages in Ashtabula County. More than 9,000 customers are currently in the dark. At 6 a.m., about 3,000 customers in Ashtabula were without power. The estimated time for restoration is now 12:30 p.m. for the majority of those customers.
8:30 a.m. Patty Harken is reporting Interstate 90 westbound, near Conneaut, is closed due to a crash. It’s not clear when the highway will reopen, but it is causing some major delays. Traffic is at a standstill.
Delays are also reported along I-77 near SR 82.
8 a.m. Meteorologist Scott Sabol is reporting that most of the lake-effect snow has already fallen. This means the additional lake-effect snow, as the day continues, will be lighter. The evening commute should be much better!
7:45 a.m. Ashtabula County has modified its Snow Emergency to pertain to areas ONLY north of Interstate 90. You can find the latest details, here.
Stacey Frey is also reporting on conditions in Ashtabula County. She shared on Facebook a report of traffic along SR 11 Northbound backed up in Ashtabula County.
7:30 a.m. Here is a look at road conditions of I-90 at SR-11 as the sun rises. (Courtesy: ODOT)
7:15 a.m. The band of lake effect snow is beginning to break up into smaller pockets. Meteorologist Scott Sabol says the fewer these bands get from the lake the weaker they will get. The latest forecast and look at conditions can be found, here.
7 a.m.: Stacey Frey reported live from near SR 11 in Ashtabula. Advising motorists to stay off the roadways. Ashtabula remains under a level 3 snow emergency. The latest on conditions in Ashtabula can be found, here.
6:35 a.m. Ashtabula County has declared a Level 3 Snow Emergency. This means roadways are closed to non-emergency travel due to extremely hazardous road conditions. More information on the impacts in Ashtabula can be found, here.
6:30 a.m.: ODOT says plow crews are starting to see a break in lake-effect snow in Ashtabula County. This should give drivers a chance to catch up. ODOT says, “Expect passable, but not perfect roads throughout this area.” (Below is a picture of I-90 ar SR11: Courtesy of ODOT.)
6:20 a.m.: Speeds reduced on I-90 in Lake County, East at SR-44.
6:15 a.m.: More than 3,000 First Energy customers in Ashtabula County are waking up in the dark. The majority are located in Conneaut. Power restoration is expected at 9 a.m. The latest power outage details can be found, here.
6:00 a.m. About a dozen school closures have been reported to the FOX 8 newsroom. You can find the latest closures and delays, here.
ODOT Cleveland is reporting more than 70 snowplows working in the primary Snowbelt. They say, “expect passable, but not perfect roads, and remember to give our plows plenty of room to work.”
5:30 a.m. The National Weather Service out of Cleveland and FOX 8 Meteorologist Scott Sabol are both reporting the snow is moving toward Cleveland. Here is what the NWS tweeted: “The band of snow is beginning to move inland. A burst of moderate to heavy snow will likely move south across the Cleveland area during the morning commute, so be sure to stay aware of the weather as you head out and be prepared for hazardous travel.”
Below is a look at StormFOX radar:
4:45 a.m. ODOT shared this picture from one of their plows. They tweeted: “We have nearly 400 crews out across the state on winter operations. This is the view from a dash cam in one on I-90 near Conneaut in Ashtabula County where lake effect snow is causing whiteout conditions. Slow down and allow extra time for travel.”
4:30 a.m. : An ODOT spokesperson Tweeted this picture and said, “Lake effect snow is causing whiteout conditions right now on I-90 in Ashtabula County. This is the view from one of our OHGO cameras.”
