Dangerous, drifting snowfall heralds return of bitter cold

Counties declare snow emergencies

Snow drifts across Waterville Monclova Rd. causing low visibility.

The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
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Snow drifts across Waterville Monclova Rd. causing low visibility.

Drifting snow created slick roadways Sunday across the region, where several counties were placed under snow emergencies to cope with the difficult conditions.

Sandusky, Seneca, Hancock, and Huron counties have issued a Level 1 snow emergency, and Erie County is under a Level 2 snow emergency, meaning only those who feel it is necessary to drive should be out on the roadways. Fulton and Ottawa counties canceled Level 1 emergencies about 10:30 a.m. today.

PHOTO GALLERY: Drifting snow, slick roads

Under a Level 2, roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow, and residents are to contact their employers to see if they should report to work.

In several counties in northwest Ohio, including Lucas, Henry, and Defiance, many vehicles were sliding off into ditches throughout the day.

Some roadways in Michigan, such as in Monroe County, were reported to be clogged with deep drifts, forcing some motorists to dig out their vehicles that became stuck.

Other motorists turned around and took alternate routes to their destinations.

Dispatchers for Monroe County reported hazardous driving conditions in the southern part of the county, with several property-damage accidents recorded.

No roads were reported closed Sunday evening.

Along I-75, south of I-475, in Perrysburg Township at least five vehicles were stuck in the snow after slipping off the expressway.

In Fulton County, Sheriff Roy Miller issued a Level 1 snow emergency because roadways were hazardous with drifting snow.

Roads were icy, and drivers were urged to drive “very cautiously,” according to information from the sheriff’s office.

Ian Dennehy, 7, of Toledo, left, and cousin Amelia Hindmarsh, 7, of Grosse Pointe, Michigan, second from left, try to snow board down the hill. Sophia Hindmarsh, 9, Amelia's sister, third from left, rides a sled, and Ian's brother Kenny Dennehy, 8, right, stands on a sled with dad Joe Dennehy, holding him up.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for Williams, Fulton, Defiance, Henry, Paulding, Putnam, Van Wert, and Allen counties in Ohio and Hillsdale county in Michigan.

The National Weather Service predicted a chance of patchy, freezing drizzle Sunday night that could cause slick roads in several area counties.

In the Toledo area, the weather service predicted a Sunday night snow accumulation of less than a half inch.

Today, the Toledo area could get 1 to 2 inches of snow.

Through Saturday, several upper-level systems will drop through the region, bringing periods of snow. Light accumulations could cause hazardous travel conditions this afternoon and tonight.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, a blast of arctic air will take temperatures into the teens during the day with nighttime lows near or below zero in many areas in the region.

Toledo is within an inch of an all-time January snowfall record.

The 1.2 inches of snow that fell before midnight Saturday at Toledo Express Airport ballooned this month’s total to 29.3 inches, unofficially making this the third snowiest January on record behind the 30.8 inches in 1978 and 30.7 in 2009, according to the National Weather Service.

January has also been colder than average.

The average temperature of 18.8 recorded at the airport through Sunday was 7 degrees below normal.

The highest temperature in 2014 was 47 degrees on Jan. 13, and the lowest was -15 on Jan. 6.