MANSFIELD — The weather experts aren’t ready to project yet how much snow may fall across north central Ohio Friday and Saturday.
But one thing seems clear — it’s going to be bone-chilling cold and awfully windy.
Merry Christmas. Bundle up. Plan ahead. Drive safely.
According to the latest forecast on Tuesday afternoon from the National Weather Service office in Cleveland, “high confidence remains for a multi-hazard storm system to reach the area late Thursday night through Saturday.”
Let’s start with conditions in which forecasters seem to have greater confidence.
— Strong winds are coming, including wind gusts above 40 miles per hour in far northeast Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania on Thursday night and 45-55 miles per hour across the entire area Friday and Saturday.
As winter weather approaches, now is the time to make plans and prepare for potential power outages.
Decide now what you will do if there’s a power outage, factoring in any holiday travel plans.
Contact family, friends and neighbors who are elderly or have medical conditions – and don’t forget to plan for your pets.
Customers should also prepare an emergency outage kit that includes:
— Non-perishable food
— Water
— Flashlight and fresh batteries
— Battery-powered radio
— First aid kit
— Necessary medications
— Fully charged portable chargers
Winds like that mean downed trees and power lines, which could knock out power to homes and businesses.Â
— It’s going to be brutally cold with actual temperatures dropping down to single digits or below zero Friday through Sunday. With the winds expected, we could see wind chills as low as -20 to -25.
The NWS experts are not ready to call the snow yet. If it comes, it will be earlier Friday morning through Saturday morning.
“The track and timing of the low pressure system will have great impact on find wind speeds, temperatures and most importantly, snowfall amounts,” the NWS said.
“Current uncertainty with the snowfall forecast and impacts preclude headline issuance at this time,” according to the Cleveland weather office.
