As Erie County continues to dig out from the feet of snow that fell from Thanksgiving night through Saturday morning, National Weather Service forecasters caution that minor flooding could be up next.
Temperatures will be in the 40s Sunday through Tuesday and rain showers are in the Monday and Tuesday forecast. Both will serve to melt some of the county’s deep snowpack. “Ground conditions will become soggy and localized flooding of mainly low-lying and poor drainage areas are possible,” the weather service reported in its hazardous weather outlook.
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“There’s going to be a lot of water around in the early part of next week,” NWS Cleveland Meteorologist Karen Clark told Times-News reporter A.J. Rao Friday.
The weather service and local officials advise residents to clear drains so meltwater and rain can reach drainage systems.
Watch the GoErie.com water level map for any flooding indicators.
Erie County 3-day weather forecast
The weather service in Cleveland calls for a high temperature near 43 degrees Sunday, with west winds potentially gusting to 36 mph before decreasing in the afternoon. The low will be around 37.
Showers are all but certain Monday, the weather service said, mainly after 7 a.m. and accumulating to as much as a quarter-inch to half-inch. The high will be around 45.
The chance of rain will tail off Monday, but the temperature is expected to remain above 40 even at its low.
Showers are likely Tuesday afternoon, mainly after 1 p.m. A tenth of an inch to a quarter-inch of rainfall is possible. The high temperature could be near 50.
Rain showers are likely overnight Tuesday, possibly mixed with snow showers. The low will be around 34.
More lake-effect snow in the forecast
Temperatures are expected to tumble Wednesday, when the early high will be around 38 but the low near 20. The high Thursday will be near 26 and the low around 18. There is a chance for sub-zero wind chills late Wednesday and early Thursday, according to early forecasts.
With the low temperatures will come a high probability of lake-effect snow Wednesday and Thursday, tapering off Thursday night.
“Surface ridging moving across the Ohio Valley late Thursday night and Friday should start to slowly shut down the lake-effect snows, but the drier conditions will not last long as another clipper looks to dive through the Great Lakes Saturday,” the weather service wrote in its area forecast discussion.
Stay up to date on Erie-area weather
Return to GoErie.com for updates. Get the latest AccuWeather forecast details and radar images for your ZIP code at goerie.com/weather. Download the GoErie app for iOS or Android for mobile-friendly forecasts. Tour Erie-area conditions by webcams.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie Pa weather forecast includes higher temps, rain, then more snow
