It looks like Akron may find itself knee deep in winter on the third weekend of spring.
The National Weather Service warns an unseasonably chilly cold front from the north will collide with more spring-like moisture from the south over Northeast Ohio through Saturday afternoon, setting the stage for a memorably snowy weekend.
A winter weather advisory is in effect until 4 p.m. Saturday as early rain showers Friday evening were expected to switch to snow overnight.
The robust bout of snow could be accompanied by rare so-called thunder snow as the leading edge of the winter storm makes its way across Northeast Ohio.
The culprit the weather service says will be the “incredible instability” as temperatures drop rapidly from the developing winter storm over Lake Erie creating the potential for lightning and thunder.
The weather service advises anywhere from 3 to 5 inches of snow could fall along the Ohio Turnpike corridor, including the Akron area, by the time it stops snowing late Saturday afternoon.
It will be windy, too, with gusts reaching as high as 25 mph, creating headaches for motorists and snowplow operators.
Snow showers are in the forecast for Sunday, but temperatures are expected to rise into the 50s by Monday.
Craig Webb can reached at cwebb@thebeaconjournal.com or 330-996-3547.
