Cleveland Weather: Storm Hitting Northeast Ohio Will Cause Flight Delays, Cancellations, Travel Hazards

CLEVELAND, OH - Your weekend travel plans could be taking a hit, thanks to a 1,200-mile winter storm tearing across a swath of the United States, including the Rockies, the Northern Plains, and the Upper Midwest. Expect slower-than-usual traffic, delayed or canceled flights, and other travel obstacles as the storm disrupts travel plans for millions of Americans.

Blizzard conditions are being forecast in areas like Chicago, Denver, and Cleveland. Major airline hubs like Detroit, Chicago, and Denver are already expecting an oncoming slate of flight delays and cancellations.

"For example, around Denver, the temperature will plummet from the 50s F Friday to below zero by Saturday morning," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Brett Anderson said in a news release. "The rapid freeze with high winds and heavy snow will create blizzard conditions with major delays likely at Denver International Airport."

Northern Ohio could be in for an especially rough stretch. AccuWeather's forecasts are calling for a "wintry mix" along the I-70 and I-80 corridors. That means Northeast Ohioans could be battling a terrible combination of snow, sleet, and freezing rain.

“Motorists and airline passengers may want to explore an alternate or more southern route as confidence is high that there will be widespread, major travel disruptions with this storm,” Anderson said in a news release.

With temperatures currently sitting at a frigid 14 degrees in Cleveland, ice should be a major concern for commuters and pedestrians alike. It won't heat up tomorrow either. The high for Friday is currently expected to be 24 degrees. Saturday could get up to about 45 degrees, before dipping below 30 degrees again. That means we may get rain, which will then ice over for the rest of the weekend.

"The snow, ice and gusty winds anticipated this weekend will likely lead to airline delays and potential cancellations in the major hubs from Denver to Chicago and Detroit," Anderson said.

Southern Ohio is expected to get a soggy start to their portion of the storm. Temperatures will stay warm enough to make the precipitation rain, rather than snow. However, when temperatures drop below freezing, that sitting water will quickly become a slick, icy surface.

"The snow, ice and gusty winds anticipated this weekend will likely lead to airline delays and potential cancellations in the major hubs from Denver to Chicago and Detroit," Anderson said in the statement.

The storm also has the potential to spread accumulating snow to parts of the central Plains and the middle Mississippi Valley.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER STATEMENT: The National Weather Service has already issued hazardous weather statement for southeast Michigan, noting that dangerous wind chills between 10 and 15 degrees below zero are expected through Thursday morning. Additionally, accumulating snow from Friday through Wednesday.

In the Upper Plains (places like Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska), the wintry mix will present a uniquely challenging set of conditions. Much of that region will end up coated in ice, due to the rapidly dropping temperature. Cities like Omaha, Nebraska; Des Moines, Iowa, and Kansas City, Missouri could be impacted.

"Parts of the central Plains could be like a skating rink for a time on Friday, due to the icy mix," Anderson said.

To the east of Ohio, the storm will bring an icy cocktail of precipitation and chilly temperatures, prime conditions for slippery travel. AccuWeather is predicting areas as far south as the Carolinas and as far north as Maine could feel the storm's wintery talons this weekend. The storm will also drop snow on Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.

Photo by Cliff via Flickr Commons