CLEVELAND -- Although lake-effect snow squalls can occur anywhere in Ohio, there are two main areas in northeastern Ohio that get socked with lake-effect snow squalls each winter.

The primary snow belt gets anywhere from 60 to 110-plus inches of snow per year.

It consists of the eastern half of Cuyahoga County, and all of Geauga, Lake and Ashtabula counties. Some of the major municipalites in this area are Euclid, Bedford, Solon, Lyndhurst, Ashtabula, Jefferson, Conneaut, Andover, Chardon, Burton, Chesterland, Chagrin Falls, Madison, Painesville, Mentor, Willoughby and Kirtland.

The secondary snow belt usually gets 40 to 80 inches of snow per winter and consists of the western half of Cuyahoga County, Lorain and Medina counties, plus the portions of Summit, Portage and Trumbull counties north of Interstate 80. It includes the cities of Cleveland, Bay Village, Westlake, Lorain, Strongsville, Oberlin, North Ridgeville, North Olmsted, Brook Park, Medina, Broadview Heights, Brecksville, Brunswick, Twinsburg, Hudson, Aurora, Garrettsville, and North Bloomfield.

The city of Akron is technically not in the snow belt, but can and does receive lake-effect snowfalls.

Lake-Effect Snow

Lake-effect snow is unique to only a few areas of the world, including the Great Lakes.

Areas downwind of large bodies of water often receive more snow than the surrounding region because of the interaction of cold air and warm lakes.

For example: Cold air from the Arctic flows quickly out of Canada during winter and across the Great Lakes. Water in the lakes has stored up high amounts of heat energy from the previous summer. This heat is released through evaporation.

The cold air blows over the warm waters of the Great Lakes and picks up the evaporated moisture.

As the air rises up over the higher elevations of land downwind of the lakes, it cools further and can't hold the moisture it has picked up. That moisture condenses, forming clouds and snow over what we know as the "snow belt" areas of Ohio and Western Pennsylvania.

Cleveland/Akron Snowfall Totals

Cleveland's average snowfall per season is 54.4 inches. Akron averages 47.2 inches per year. Mansfield's annual snowfall is 41.1 inches and Youngstown sees an average 55.3 inches of snow per year.

Snow Shower Vs. Snow Squall

• Snow flurries -- Light snow falling for short durations. Accumulations are generally "just a dusting."
• Snow showers -- Snow falling at varying intensities for short periods of time. Some accumulation is possible.
• Snow squalls -- Intense snow showers accompanied by strong, gusty winds. Heavy accumulations are possible in squalls. Squalls are most likely in the lake-effect snow belt regions of the Great Lakes, including northeast Ohio.
• Blizzard -- A blizzard must have winds over 35 mph with snow and blowing snow reducing visibility to near zero.

Winter Weather Terms

• Heavy snow warning is defined as 6 or more inches of snow in a 12-hour period for northern Ohio and at least 4 inches of snow in 12 hours for southern Ohio.
• A winter storm WATCH is issued when meteorologists see the possibility of snowfall of 6 inches or more and/or freezing rain within 12 to 24 hours.
• A winter storm WARNING is issued when 6 or more inches of snow and/or freezing rain is imminent within the next 12 hours.
• Lake snow warning will be issued to cover lake-effect snow amounts of 6 inches or more in 12 hours. These events are often confined to very small areas in the snow belt.
• Snow advisory is issued for 3-5 inches of snow in 12 hours in northern Ohio; 2-4 inches of snow in 12 hours for southern Ohio.
• A winter weather advisory is issued when two or more winter weather hazards are expected at the same time (i.e., snow, freezing rain and/or dangerous wind chills).

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