Power Outage in Mentor, OH

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 2 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow, with rates briefly up to 1��� per hour, occurred behind the front into the morning hours of December 23rd with the snow trending lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 45 MPH through the day. A mesonet station in Wickliffe measured a peak wind gust of 57 MPH at 1:59 PM December 23rd. Lost Nation Airport clocked a peak gust of 51 MPH at 9:15 AM. Sporadic power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn���t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. Lost Nation Airport observed visibility consistently at or below one-quarter of a mile in falling snow and/or blowing snow from 5:55 AM December 23rd through 4:15 PM that day, with wind gusts consistently over 35 MPH for that entire period. This means blizzard conditions were observed in the county. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th with several accidents resulting in at least minor injuries. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 6 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until early in the morning December 26th. Lost Nation Airport reported a minimum wind chill of -30 degrees at 5:35 PM December 23rd. In response to these conditions, a warming center was opened in Painesville. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Trained spotters measured 5.3��� of snow in North Madison and Mentor, 4.8��� in Willoughby, 4.7��� in Concord Township and 4��� in Willowick and Mentor-on-the-Lake with this storm. Some light lake effect snow lingered into Christmas morning behind the storm.

A wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain developed during the late afternoon hours on February 17th and continued for several hours into the evening before changing to snow. Snow continued steadily through much of the night before tapering to more intermittent lake effect snow showers through the morning hours of February 18th. Winds gusted up to 40 MPH at times. Ice accumulations of around 0.10��� occurred, which resulted in some downed tree limbs and power-outages when combined with the gusty winds. Poor travel conditions and auto accidents were reported. A trained spotter measured 6.9��� of snow in Concord with this storm. Other select totals from spotters include 4.2��� falling in Madison, 4.0��� in Willoughby Hills and 3.6��� in Kirtland Hills.

Rain changed over to snow during the evening hours of November 30 in Northeast Ohio, as low pressure moved just east of the area. During the early morning hours of December 1, heavy, wet snow overspread the region with visibility dropping to one-quarter of a mile or less and snowfall rates up to one inch per hour. Travel was severely disrupted by this storm as heavy snow quickly accumulated on area roadways and any pre-treatment efforts were hampered by rain earlier on November 30. Due to the heavy, wet nature of the snow and only modest wind speeds of 10 to 15 mph, blowing and drifting snow was not a big issue during this event. However, snow easily collected on area trees, especially area evergreen trees, and the weight of the snow allowed for trees to fall onto area roads, power lines, and even some buildings. Tree damage was significant across Lake County and up to 15,000 customers were without power by the late morning of December 1 due to trees falling onto power lines. Power was not restored to some residences for several days. Schools and several businesses closed on December 1 and 2 due to the weather conditions. In Lake County, snowfall totals ranged from 8 to 17 inches of snow for the event. A peak total of 16.9 inches of snow was observed in Concord Township. Other selected snowfall totals include: 14.3 inches in Willoughby Hills, 12 inches in Kirtland Hills, 11.6 inches in Willoughby, and 9.5 inches in Mentor.

High wind gusts of at least 60 mph downed trees, large limbs and power lines throughout the county. Scattered power outages were reported.

Wind damage was reported in portions of Lake County due to 50 to 60 mph wind gusts. Trees and power lines were noted down in Mentor. C-MAN Station FAIO1 at Fairport Harbor measured a 62 MPH non-thunderstorm wind gust at 3:48 PM, a 64 MPH non-thunderstorm wind gust at 4:48 PM, and a 67 MPH non-thunderstorm wind gust at 5:24 PM.

A large tree was blown down on a house. Several power lines were blown down on Seneca Trail in Mentor.

Trees and power lines were downed across the area. A large tree was downed onto Interstate 90 in Kirtland, blocking several eastbound lanes. Scattered power outages were reported in the county.

There were multiple reports of trees and power lines blown down.

High winds downed trees, utility poles and power lines in Mentor. Scattered power outages were reported.

High winds downed many trees and large limbs across Lake County resulting in scattered power outages. Several trees were downed near where Interstate 90 crosses State Route 44 in the western part of the county.

The Eastlake Fire Department reported 32 large trees down across the city|Several of these trees caused damage to homes and vehicles. Most trees were snapped above the base. Numerous power lines were also brought down.

Social media reported a large tree and power lines down at the intersection of Riverside Drive and Nelmar Drive in Painesville Township.

High winds of at least 60 mph downed trees and limbs throughout Lake County. Scattered power outages were reported.

Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree and some power lines. Scattered power outages were reported.

Mixed precipitation spread across the area early on the 12th and then transitioned to snow from west to east. Much of the area also saw a period of freezing rain. The snow increased in intensity during the late morning hours with visibilities less than one half mile. North to northeast winds increased as the low passed to the south of the area. Winds gusted to more than 45 mph during the early afternoon hours. Winds continued to gust to more than 30 mph through the evening hours. The strong winds combined with the snow to create significant blowing and drifting and very treacherous driving conditions. Snowfall totals of up to 6 inches were reported along with a glaze of ice in some areas. Schools across most of northern Ohio were closed on the 12th and the evening commute was very difficult. Dozens of accidents and a some power outages were reported.

County dispatch and the media relayed reports of trees and power lines down in Eastlake and Willoughby. Ten trees were also reported down in Willowick.

Thunderstorm winds downed several trees and knocked down some power lines. Scattered power outages were reported.

Thunderstorm winds in excess of 60 mph downed dozens of trees and caused widespread power outage. In excess of 3,000 utility customers lost power during this event.

Winds in Lake County gusted over 60 mph for a few hours. A peak gust of 67 mph was measured by the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse. Hundreds of trees and utility poles were downed by the high winds. At least 31,500 electric customers lost power during the storms. There were reports of trees and limbs on houses and vehicles. Many homes also lost sections of roofing and siding. Some streets and roads had to be closed because of downed trees and utility lines.

A few trees and power lines were downed across the county.

Thunderstorm winds downed numerous large trees onto power lines across the area. Police reported a transformer on fire and wide spread power outages.

An area of low pressure tracked slowly east across the Ohio Valley on February 20th and 21st. A warm front stretching east from this low moved north into northern Ohio on the 20th and caused freezing rain to develop from west to east during the evening hours. The freezing rain continued for several hours and then ended just before daybreak on the 21st. Ice accumulations of between one quarter and one third of an inch were reported in Lake County. At the peak of the storm, over 80,000 people were without power in northern Ohio. It took nearly a full day for the power outages to be completely restored. Many schools not already closed for the President's Day Holiday either canceled or delayed classes on the 21st.

Three waves of wintry precipitation were associated with this storm across northern Ohio. Snow began in Lake County around midnight on February 1st. A four to six hour period of moderate to heavy snow occurred with accumulations of 5 to 7 inches. Most of the daylight hours of the 1st were quiet with just some light snow and patchy freezing drizzle reported. The second wave of precipitation began during the late afternoon and evening hours. Most of this was mixed freezing rain and sleet. Ice accumulations of over a quarter inch along with an inch or more of sleet accumulation occurred. This mixture coated area roads and streets and resulted in treacherous travel. A few power outages were reported on 2nd. Wrap around snow behind the low affected northern Ohio during the daylight hours of the 2nd. Much of the area saw between one and three inches of snow. Many schools were closed on the 1st and 2nd.

A strong cold front moved across Lake County during the early afternoon hours of December 9th. A cluster of showers developed in advance of this front and produced brief wind gusts in excess of 50 mph. Southwest winds behind the cold front rapidly increased during the afternoon hours with gusts of around 60 mph reported late in the day. Winds continued to gust to as much as 50 mph through 10 pm. The high winds downed trees, utility poles and power lines in Lake County. Scattered power outages were reported. Some homes and buildings in the county sustained minor damage. Most of this was from lost siding or roofing. Much of this damage was associated with the showers that moved through early in the afternoon.

Strong winds were reported in Lake County. A cooperative observer in Painesville measured a peak gust of 45 mph. A few trees and power lines were downed resulting in scattered power outages.

Several large limbs and power lines were reported down.

A strong cold front moved across Lake County during the evening of February 11th. West to southwest winds gusted to more than 60 mph behind the front. A 58 mph wind gust was measured at Painesville early on the 12th. Winds finally diminished just before daybreak on the 12th. Dozens of trees and a few utility poles were downed in the county causing scattered power outages. Many buildings in the county sustained damage. Most of this was from lost shingles, but a few buildings lost gutters or sections of siding. A large warehouse store in Willoughby Hills had a large portion of roof torn off.

High winds associated with the remnants of Hurricane Ike began during the early evening hours of September 14th and continued through late evening. Peak wind gusts were estimated to be around 60 mph with the strongest winds occurring between 7 and 9 pm. Damage in the county was extensive with thousands of trees and many utility poles downed. Widespread power outages occurred with some customers without power for several days. Homes and buildings were damaged throughout the county. The damage ranged from a few shingles torn off to significant structural damage caused by fallen trees landing on roofs. Numerous vehicles were damaged by fallen trees and limbs and also from flying debris. This storm hampered travel as downed trees and power lines forced the closure of many roads. Substantial clean up costs were incurred by local governments. Some schools in the county were forced to close on Monday the 15th because of the power outages.

A tree, power pole, and utility lines were reported down.

A mixture of sleet and snow began in Lake County before daybreak on March 4th. This mixture quickly changed to freezing rain which then continued into the early morning hours of March 5th. Conditions quickly deteriorated after sunset as surface temperatures dropped off a few degrees. Over a quarter inch of ice accumulation was reported on roads and sidewalks by early evening. By the time the freezing rain changed to light snow during the early morning hours of the 5th, as much as three quarters of an inch of ice had accumulated on parts of the county. Thunder and lightning were reported between 7 and 9 pm. The snow tapered to flurries during the morning hours of the 5th after an inch or two of accumulation. Widespread power outages occurred across Lake County as a result of the freezing rain. Some electric customers in Madison and Leroy Townships were without power for as much as four days. Extensive tree damage was reported in the county as well. Many accidents were reported during this event.

Numerous power lines were reported down across the county, especially in the City of Painesville.

In Waite Hill a large tree and two utility poles snapped. The power lines were torn down and even ripped away from a house.

Numerous trees, power poles, and utility lines were reported down across the county. Thousands of customers throughout Lake County were without power during the late afternoon and evening hours of the 28th.

Two trees were reported down. Power lines were also taken down from the fallen trees.

A line of severe thunderstorms moved across Lake County and downed dozens of trees. Scattered power outages were also reported. Several homes and vehicles were damaged by fallen trees and flying debris.

An area of deep low pressure over southern Illinois early in the afternoon of April 3rd moved quickly northeast and crossed Lake Erie during the evening hours. The low continued to deepen and eventually passed to the north of daybreak just before daybreak on the 4th. Northwest winds on the back side of the low gradually increased during the morning hours of the 4th and peaked around midday most areas. Gusts in excess of 60 mph were reported at a couple light houses along the south shore of Lake Erie. Wind gusts decreased further inland. Trees, large limbs and power lines were reported down near the lake shore from about Cleveland east into Northwest Pennsylvania.

A cluster of showers and thunderstorms developed over Lake Erie ahead of a cold front moving south across the Lake. These thunderstorms produced damaging winds as they moved onshore into Lake and Geauga Counties. Trees and powerlines were brought down by thunderstorm winds in Willoughby and Mentor, continuing inland to near Chardon in Geaugu County.

A strong cold front moved across northeastern Ohio early in the day. Gusty westerly winds occurred behind this front and downed trees and power lines throughout Ashtabula, Geauga and Lake Counties during the late morning and early afternoon hours. A peak measured gust of 47 mph was recorded at the Ashtabula County Airport.