Ashtabula County’s snow emergency downgraded to Level 1

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - Ashtabula County Sheriff William Niemi declared a “Level 3″ snow emergency early Thursday morning as heavy rounds of lake effect snow impacted the area.

The snow emergency was downgraded to a Level 1 severity before 1 p.m. on Thursday.

According to the Ohio Committee for Severe Weather Awareness:

• LEVEL 1: Roadways are hazardous with blowing and drifting snow. Roads may also be icy. Motorists are urged to drive very cautiously.

“The roads are still bad,” the sheriff said. “We’re asking people to avoid these problem areas and travel with extreme caution.”

A Level 3 emergency was in place for several hours, meaning all non-essential travel was prohibited.

A county sheriff has the ability to declare a snow emergency and limit traffic or close roads if the conditions warrant doing so.

Stay with the 19 First Alert Weather team for continuing coverage.

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