Frostbite Causing Cold Coming To Cleveland Through End Of Week

Temperatures in the Cleveland area could go as low as -24 degrees with wind chill, according to a wind chill advisory issued by the National Weather Service. Parts of Northeast Ohio could also see some lake effect snow heading into the weekend.

Exposure to those weather conditions could cause frostbite in as little as 30 minutes, the NWS said. Many schools in the region have already cancelled school on Friday, while the Regional Transit Authority is opening some of its rail and transit stations to the public to shelter them from the coming cold.

The current wind chill advisory in place for the region is set to expire Saturday at noon. Temperatures should start rising by Sunday with things heating up to about 30 degrees.

Parts of Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania could see the return of heavy snowfall by Friday night. Up to a foot of snow could fall in the region. Erie, Pennsylvania received 65.1 inches of snow between Dec. 24 and Dec. 27.

Nationally, the Northeast is preparing for a "bomb cyclone" of winter weather. Flight schedules have already been thrown into disarray. To check on the status of a flight and learn more about the weather hitting the east coast, click here.

RTA has picked four of its major transit stations to be open to the public, 24-hours-a-day during the wind chill advisory. The stations will remain open as needed, the agency said.

The RTA stations that will be open to the public are:

• Southgate Transit Center, 5491 Warrensville Center Rd., Maple Heights
• Westgate Transit Center, 21159 Center Ridge Rd., Fairview Park
• Parma Transit Center, 8750 Day Drive, Parma
• West 117 Station on the Red Line, 11631 Madison Ave., Cleveland
• Louis Stokes/Windermere Station on the Red Line, 14232 Euclid Ave., East Cleveland

The city of Cleveland will also open four of its recreation centers to the public during this bout of extreme cold weather. The following facilities will have an open door policy until at least Saturday:

• Zelma Watson George Recreation Center, 3155 Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr.
• Collinwood Recreation Center: 16300 Lakeshore Blvd.
• Michael Zone Recreation Center (*7 p.m.— 9 a.m.), 6301 Lorain Ave.
• Lonnie Burten Recreation Center, 2511 East 46th St.

(AP Photo/Mark Lennihan: File)