All of Erie, nearby counties under winter storm warning or advisory Friday

Jim Martin, Erie Times-News
·4 min read

It looks like Punxsutawney Phil, Pennsylvania's most celebrated marmot, might have been right when he forecast another six weeks of winter.

This winter has been mild by Erie standards, but Mother Nature appears to have at least one significant snowfall left in the tank.

More:Groundhog Day 2023: Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, meaning 6 more weeks of winter

The National Weather Service in Cleveland forecast, updated Friday morning, shows Erie County and Crawford County could receive nearly a foot of snow in some areas. A winter storm warning has been issued for southern Erie County and a winter weather advisory has been issued for northern Erie County and for Crawford County from Friday at 7 a.m. to Saturday at 7 a.m.

What to expect

The weather is expected to take a turn toward the wintry Friday morning with snow showers after 7 a.m. The chance of precipitation is 100% with an expected accumulation in northern Erie County of 3 inches to 7 inches of snow. Southeast winds of 9 to 14 mph are expected. The high temperature will be near 34 degrees.

In southern Erie County, including but not limited to Edinboro, Corry and Union City, 3 inches to 7 inches of snow is likely Friday, and 6 inches to 10 inches during the duration of the warning period. Winds could gust to 28 mph Friday night.

More: Take a web-cam tour of Erie-area weather conditions

The advisory and warning call for the heaviest snow between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., sometimes falling at one inch per hour.

The chance of precipitation Friday night is 100% with a possible additional accumulation of 2 inches to 4 inches in northern Erie and Crawford counties. Winds will be from the north at 15 to 22 mph and could gust to 32 mph, according to the weather service. The low will be near 26.

An additional 1 inch to 3 inches is possible in southern Erie County, according to the forecast.

There is a 40% chance or less around the region that snow showers will continue Saturday, mostly ending by 10 a.m. Accumulation of less than half an inch is possible.

More: Lake Erie water levels continue falling from record highs. What's ahead?

Forecasts around the Erie region

  • Warren County: The weather service in State College has issued a winter weather advisory from Friday at 7 a.m. until Saturday at 7 a.m. and calls for 3 inches to 5 inches of snow Friday and an additional inch to two inches Friday night. Locally higher amounts are possible.

  • Mercer, Venango, Clarion, Forest counties: The weather service in Pittsburgh has a winter weather advisory in place from Friday at 7 a.m. until Saturday at 1 a.m. The forecast calls for 2 inches to 5 inches of snow.

  • Ashtabula County, Ohio: The weather service in Cleveland has a winter weather advisory in place from Friday at 7 a.m. until Saturday at 7 a.m. Expect 4 inches to 8 inches of snow.

  • Chautauqua County, New York: The weather service in Buffalo has issued a winter storm warning from Friday at 9 a.m. until Saturday at 7 a.m. Heavy snow is expected, totaling 6 inches to 11 inches, with the greatest amounts on the Chautauqua Ridge. Winds could gust to 35 mph.

Erie's mild winter so far

So far, it's been a mild winter, at least by Erie standards.

As of Wednesday, Erie had recorded of 42.8 inches of snow since October, according to climate data from the Weather Service. That compares to an average of 86.4 inches through March 8.

Lake effect or something else?

A low-pressure system is expected to move into northwestern Pennsylvania.

"That is the main cause," of the predicted snowfall, said David Marsalek, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. "But there is going to be some lake effect on the back side."

More:The whitest Christmas: Records, memories remain from Erie's great 2017 snowfall

That means there could be more snowfall in areas of higher elevation, he said.

What Marsalek doesn't expect is a bone-chilling blizzard.

"Your temps are probably going to end up in the low- to mid-30s," he said. "It's not a particularly frigid system by any means."

But this snow forecast, Marsalek said, is a reminder that "winter is not done yet."

Find the latest forecast for your ZIP code, radar and more at GoErie.com/weather.

Contact Jim Martin at jmartin@timesnews.com.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie PA area weather forecast calls for 5 to 11 inches of snow Friday