Winter in Cleveland has basically become a game of "will they or won't they" with the clouds. Honestly, you've probably looked out the window at a clear sky in Westlake only to hear that Chardon is getting absolutely hammered by four inches of fresh powder. That's just the nature of the beast here. If you're looking at the snow forecast for Cleveland Ohio right now, specifically for Friday, January 16, 2026, we are sitting in the middle of a very weird, very "Cleveland" weather sandwich.
Yesterday was a mess. A heavy snow storm rolled through on Thursday, January 15, dumping a significant layer and causing a flurry of parking bans. But today is a bit different. The "big" system has moved out, and we’re left with the leftovers.
The Immediate Outlook: Friday and the Weekend
Today, Friday, Jan 16, is gonna be weirdly mild compared to the single-digit wind chills we just crawled out of. We’re looking at a high of 34°F. That’s almost balmy, right? Don't get too comfortable. There is a 71% chance of snow during the day. It’s not the "stay home and hide" kind of snow, but more of a steady, annoying accumulation that makes the I-90 commute a slushy nightmare.
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By the time the sun goes down tonight, the temperature drops back to 20°F, and those snow showers will linger. The wind is coming out of the south at about 17 mph, so at least we aren't dealing with that biting northwest wind that usually freezes the lakefront.
Saturday, January 17, is basically a carbon copy of today. Another high of 34°F with a 35% chance of snow showers during the day. It’s messy. It’s grey. It’s Cleveland.
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Why the Snowbelt Always Gets the Brunt
Most people get the "Snowbelt" thing wrong. They think if it snows in Cleveland, it snows everywhere equally. Not even close. If you’re in the Primary Snowbelt—think Geauga, Lake, and eastern Cuyahoga counties—you’re likely still digging out from Thursday’s heavy hits.
The National Weather Service recently had advisories out for places like Richland and Ashland because, while the city proper might just get a "coating to an inch" today (as AccuWeather is suggesting), the higher elevations and the spots east of the city are always a different story.
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- Cuyahoga County: Expecting intermittent flurries and a possible inch today.
- Geauga/Ashtabula: Always add a couple of inches to whatever the "official" Cleveland number is.
- The West Side: Usually gets the short end of the stick (or the long end, depending on if you like shoveling).
The 10-Day Deep Freeze
If you're looking further out, things get kind of intense. Monday, January 19, and Tuesday, January 20, are looking brutal. We’re talking highs of 19°F and 18°F, with overnight lows dipping down to a staggering 5°F.
This is that "polar air" the meteorologists like Ryan Shoptaugh have been warning us about all week. When that Arctic air hits the relatively open (and currently low-ice) waters of Lake Erie, the "lake effect machine" starts humming. Even though the chance of precipitation drops to about 5% to 25% early next week, any lake effect band that sets up can drop three inches in an hour while your neighbor two miles away sees the sun.
Surviving the Slush
Honestly, the biggest risk right now isn't the total inches—it's the freeze-thaw cycle. With highs of 34°F today and tomorrow, the snow on the ground is going to turn into that grey, salty slush. When it hits 20°F tonight and 17°F Saturday night, that slush becomes solid ice.
- Check the salt: If you haven't salted your walkway yet, do it before the sun goes down today.
- Watch the wind: 17-24 mph gusts are expected through Monday, which means even a little bit of snow will start drifting across the roads.
- The Ice Factor: Lake Erie ice coverage has been a "weather whiplash" story this year. It hit 33% in early January but plummeted to under 3% recently. Open water means more moisture for the clouds, which means more snow for us.
The snow forecast for Cleveland Ohio isn't showing a blizzard for the next few days, but it is showing a persistent, cold, and slippery pattern that isn't going away until at least the end of the month. Grab the heavy coat; you’re gonna need it for that Monday morning commute.
Stay off the roads if you can during the overnight freezes, and keep an eye on those lake effect bands—they are the only thing that can truly ruin a "mostly cloudy" Tuesday.