✎☂★Category Two Winter Storm Eric Hits Christmas Eve Across Great Lake States

Some areas in Michigan will see Category Two Winter Storm Conditions on Christmas Eve into Christmas Morning while other areas across Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, and Northwest Pennsylvania get damaging winds.  Find out what are you are in by reading on.

A winter storm dubbed Eric will develop into a deepening surface low, tracking across Indiana, Northeast Ohio, and Eastern Michigan on Christmas Eve.  The western side of the surface low will harbor the colder air for snowfall to begin during the afternoon hours across the IL/IN zones, pushing into Michigan later on in the evening and into the night.  Heavy snowfall is likely in parts of the Chicago forecast area, possible just west of the Downtown area … but close enough to warrant monitoring the area some more.  Blizzard conditions in the IL/IN areas will not be met, however 20+ mph gusts will be possible which could reduce visibility in some area.  Still, a Blizzard Watch/Warning/Advisory is not needed at the time and likely won’t be.

As the storm deepens in the evening into the night, expect a large area of heavy snowfall developing across Southwest/Western/Northern Michigan, where the blues/pinks/reds are in our map.  These will be category two conditions, which are wind gusts of 20+ mph wind gust factors and over 6+” of snowfall.  Enhancement of snowfall across this part of Michigan will be likely due to the westerly flow off the lake, enhancing the moisture content in these areas and ringing out more snowfall, similar to lake-effect snow and parts of West/North Michigan in the deepest red shadings could see over a foot of snowfall.

On the map, wind gust potential on Christmas Eve shows the 30 mph wind gusts shading missing the heavy snowfall bands, which means this is not a true blizzard type system.  It however will produce very gusty winds across the Central/Northern half of Ohio and very dangerous winds across Lake Erie, in-which we do not recommend marine activities out on the lake where 50+ mph wind gusts will hit.  Metro areas near the lake will likely see 40+ mph wind gusts Christmas Eve Evening into the overnight.  None of the areas where snow will no be present will have any category type conditions, and Winter Storm Eric is reserved mainly for parts of IL/IN/MI … just go by the map.

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