Winter weather: Closings, delays and cancellations pile up after storm buries region in snow

Heavy snowfall kept residents from getting to work, sent vehicles into ditches and tested local governments' ability to clear roads.

Kent State University decided to go virtual Tuesday with much of the region still buried. Public bus routes ran behind schedule. A COVID testing site and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Stark County, as well as Lock 3 and the zoo in Akron, were among the many businesses and attractions that closed.

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Photos of stranded public buses and a snowmobile ripping through the streets of downtown Cleveland were shared on social media. The regional transit authority there reported 50 buses stuck by 5 a.m.

As much as a foot of snow covered the ground early Monday in parts of Summit County, with the storm expected to dissipate by 10 a.m. and gusting winds stirring up snow hazards.

How winter storm Izzy unfolded across the region

The National Weather Service forecasted 7 to 14 inches by 10 a.m. Several residents in Summit County reported at least a foot with a couple inches more on the way, especially for communities closest to the I-80 snow belt.

Snow was falling at the rate of up to an inch an hour overnight. The heaviest snow ended around 8 a.m. for much of the region as temperatures dipped to about 24 degrees by noon. The highest totals of 18 inches or more were recorded east of Interstate 77. Two feet of snow fell in Ashtabula, caught in the path of winter storm Izzy's last-minute shift to the west.

NWS extended its winter storm warning until 1 p.m. for Summit, Portage, Medina, Stark, Wayne, Lorain, Mahoning, and Holmes counties. Wind gusts of 24 mph were expected Monday evening in the Akron-Canton area.

What is the upcoming weather outlook?

Lake-effect snow for parts of Northeast Ohio was expected to increase through the afternoon into the evening. The weather service said it did not expect hazardous weather Tuesday through Sunday, though additional accumulation of 1-2 inches in Akron, 1 inch in Canton and 3 or more inches in parts of northern Summit County and northwestern Portage County are forecasted by 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Wednesday's forecast, with a rain-snow mix in the morning followed by snow in the evening, is expected to be mild with a half an inch or less by the end of the day. There was no more precipitation in the forecast until at least Sunday.

For vehicles that escaped their driveways, travel was treacherous Monday. The Ohio Department of Transportation reported numerous vehicles off the road or stuck in the snow across the region.

Scenes from the snowstorm: Winter storm traffic camera images across the region

The left lane of I-76 East at state Route 8 was closed at 8 a.m. because of snow and ice, ODOT said.

Level 2 emergency in Summit County

Summit County was upgraded to a Level 2 snow emergency Monday morning by Sheriff Kandy Fatheree.

Roadways were hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. The sheriff said only people who felt it is necessary to drive should be on roadways.

The snow apparently had little impact on electrical lines. By 9 a.m., about 200 of the more than 2 million customers served by FirstEnergy and its subsidiaries were without power, the Akron-based electric company reported. That figure had dropped to 77 by 2 p.m.

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Most communities, including Akron, have parking bans in effect. Schools are closed for the Martin Luther King holiday.

The city of Akron posted on social media that plow/salt truck crews on Friday began pre-treating streets with brine. Starting at noon on Sunday all 52 trucks began pre-treating roads with salt.

Some residential streets around schools were plowed by the early afternoon. The city said it would have its fully activated fleet of more than 50 trucks plow back on the main roads for another pass as some secondary and many residential streets waited to be cleared.

Cuyahoga Falls had 28 plow/salt trucks working on Monday, Mayor Don Walters said on social media. The trucks are concentrating first on state Route 8, main roads, intersections and hills until the snow stops, then will transition to secondary roads and then to neighborhoods, the mayor said.

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The city of Cuyahoga Falls also announced that there will be no sanitation pickup today. There will be a one-day delay in refuse collection for the balance of the week, with crews planning to work on Saturday.

Bus service has delays; airport is open

The Metro Regional Transit Authority said while buses were running it was experiencing service delays because of the snow-clogged streets. In addition, the public transportation service said that because of the Martin Luther King holiday, DASH and SCAT/Paratransit/Demand Response services are not running.

SARTA (Stark Area Regional Transit Authority) also reported delays. And the Ohio National Guard COVID-19 testing facility at the Stark County Fairgrounds and Stark County Fair offices were closed.

The Akron-Canton Regional Airport was open and operating at normal capacity Monday. "Our team has done a really good job of clearing the runways," said Lisa Dalpiaz, airport spokeswoman. She said some airlines have delayed flights, so travelers should check their flight times.

Akron Zoo, Football Hall of Fame closed

Among the numerous businesses and organizations closing Monday because of the weather was the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. The city of Akron closed Lock 3 and its skating rink for the day.

It was even too much for the snow leopards.

The Akron Zoo announced it is closed Monday because of the snow storm that dumped a foot or so of snow across the region.

The zoo was offering free admission to mark the Martin Luther King holiday.

Workers plan to spend the day removing snow from the trails and walkways and reopen the zoo to the public on Tuesday.

And in the cruelest of ironies, Cleveland was forced to cancel a planned ice festival in the lakefront park by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Organizers hope to reschedule the event later when its not quite as snowy.

In Cuyahoga Falls, the Natatorium, the downtown ice skating rink and the library are all closed today.

The Stow-Munroe Falls Library and the Hudson Library and Historical Society are both closed today.

Fitness center closings

Cleveland Clinic said that several of its LifeStyles wellness facilities had closures or cancellations on Monday due to the inclement weather. They included:

• The Bath LifeStyles Facility is closing at 5 p.m.

• The Green LifeStyles Facility remains open, but the pool will close at 5 p.m.. Group exercise classes with the exception of aquatic classes are open and babysitting is open.

• The Stow LifeStyles Facility remains open and the pool closes at 7:30 p.m. There will be no group exercise classes this evening and babysitting is closed for the evening.

With reports from Beacon Journal and other USA Today Network staff. Beacon Journal reporter Jim Mackinnon's yardstick measured nearly 18 inches of snow in his driveway Monday morning in Cuyahoga Falls. He can be reached at 330-996-3544 or jmackinnon@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him @JimMackinnonABJ on Twitter or www.facebook.com/JimMackinnonABJ.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Snowstorm causes closings, hazardous roads in Akron, Northeast Ohio