Great Lakes Region Prepares for Additional Snow as Recovery Continues from Lake-Effect Storms

Additional snowfall may be headed for areas in the Great Lakes region still recovering from a series of storms that resulted in tragic accidents, caused a barn to collapse on around 100 cows, and buried some communities under nearly 6 feet of snow.

As cleanup efforts continued Tuesday in parts of western New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Michigan—where some areas reported just an inch or two of snow while others faced several feet—snowfall lingered in parts of New York, prompting a lake-effect snow warning to remain in effect throughout much of Tuesday. The National Weather Service indicated that some locations could experience another 4 to 8 inches of snowfall.

Snow accumulation on an Ohio high school roof led to a partial collapse of the structure while it was closed for the weekend. School officials near Ashtabula reported further damage on Monday, stating that repairs would take weeks and they were devising plans to relocate classes.

More than five feet of snow have covered areas east of Cleveland along Lake Erie, with more snow anticipated later in the week. A winter storm watch was also issued by the weather service, beginning Wednesday night through Friday.

Todd Brainard utilized a roof rake to remove several feet of snow from the rooftop of his home in North Perry, Ohio.

“I just don’t want to risk having the roof cave in on my children or wife or any of us,” he shared on Tuesday. “Many people haven’t encountered this amount of snow in a very long time.”

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine declared a state of emergency in four counties on Tuesday due to the expectation of more snow squalls and high winds in the upcoming days.

Meanwhile, another 3 to 9 inches of snow could accumulate in western Pennsylvania from late Wednesday through Thursday morning. Many school districts in the western region were closed Tuesday following days of lake-effect snow.

The Pennsylvania National Guard members employed Humvees and tactical vehicles to transport healthcare workers and those in need of medical attention while also rescuing stranded motorists over the past four days, according to spokesperson Maj. Travis Mueller.

In Erie, Pennsylvania, which was buried under several feet of snow, more than 200 cars were abandoned, complicating efforts to clear the streets. Even for a city familiar with lake-effect snow, the storm’s intensity was described as “unprecedented” by the city’s assistant fire chief, Gregory Purchase.

Officials in Erie County urged residents to assist in clearing fire hydrants on their streets and announced that inmates from the jail would begin helping in this effort starting Wednesday.

The recent heavy snowfall has been linked to several fatal accidents. Three individuals died in an Iowa crash on Monday morning after a vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic to overtake a snowplow, as reported by the Iowa State Patrol.

In western Kentucky, two people lost their lives in a crash on Monday night that blocked Interstate 24 for hours, as multiple accidents occurred along the highway due to winter weather conditions, according to officials.

In southeast Alaska, an ice storm warning is currently in effect alongside flood watches due to rain and melting snow, as indicated by the weather service. Heavy snowfall transitioned to rain in Juneau, the capital city, as temperatures warmed.

By Bruce Shipkowski