With a low temperature of 10 degrees expected in Akron Saturday night, the City of Akron is activating its warming centers headed into the weekend.

A winter weather advisory is in effect for Summit County from 1 p.m. Saturday through 7 a.m. Monday, with wind chills of -5 to 5 degrees expected Sunday and Monday mornings, according to the National Weather Service. 

The area will see widespread snow accumulations of 2 to 4 inches Saturday afternoon and evening with a clipper (a fast-moving storm that brings snow, strong winds and significant drops in temperature). Additional accumulations of 2 to 5 inches late Saturday night through Sunday night are possible within lake effect areas.

Travel could be difficult because of slick and snow-covered roads, the weather service warns, along with reduced visibility.

Visit www.ohgo.com for the latest travel, roadway and traffic conditions.

Warming centers open to provide shelter in Akron

The Emergency Overnight Warming Center, located at 111 E. Voris St., will be open from 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday, Dec. 12 through Monday, Dec. 15. This shelter provides food and clothing as well. Mayor Shammas Malik announced Friday morning. 

Summit Lake Community Center, located at 380 W. Crosier St., will have extended daytime open hours from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 14 and Monday, Dec. 15 to function as a warming center. All other community centers will be open during their normal business hours Monday. 

Akron METRO RTA is providing free fares on all ADA, SCAT, and METRO Direct routes through the end of 2025. This includes routes from the Summit Lake warming center to the Voris Street Emergency Overnight Warming Center. Learn more at www.yourmetrobus.org.   

The city will continue to monitor the temperature and will extend community center hours as needed. Unless otherwise specified, the centers will return to their normal business hours starting Tuesday, Dec. 16.   

A winter weather advisory is in effect for the Akron area from 1 p.m. Saturday through 7 a.m. Monday, with wind chills of -5 to 5 degrees expected Sunday and Monday mornings, according to the National Weather Service. 

What is Akron’s snow plan?

If you plan to venture out into the (expected) snow, check the city’s snow plow tracker and online dashboard, which provides near-real-time progress updates for winter storm responses. 

The tracker can be accessed via the city’s 311 app, where residents can request service for ice buildups and large snow piles. Residents can also request salt or plowing services online or by calling 311. 

Akron has four levels of response, based on weather forecasts and existing road conditions. Level four, which is the most intense level, includes all available trucks covering the 51 first priority routes, followed by the second and third — this level is reserved for larger snow and ice events. 

Within the magnitude of response, every street in Akron is given a priority level. You can check where your street lands in the order of importance here. 

  • First priority streets: Expressways, METRO RTA bus routes, roads near hospitals and schools and other high-capacity roads. 
  • Second priority streets: Heavily traveled residential streets, hills, dead-end streets and one-way streets that service larger developments. 
  • Third priority streets: All other public streets. 

The city’s dashboard, which covers the city’s more than 1,919 single “lane” miles, indicates the response level and current activity, such as salting or plowing.

How can I find out if my street has been cleared? 

During weather events, an interactive map on the dashboard will indicate the last time a truck serviced a particular street.  

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How can Akron residents prepare for winter storms?

AAA recommends drivers keep an emergency kit in their vehicle. Emergency kit essentials include: 

  • Cell phone car chargers
  • Flashlight with extra batteries
  • First aid kit 
  • An ice scraper or snow brush and shovel
  • Gloves, warm clothes and blankets 
  • Drinking water
  • Non-perishible food
  • Traction aids such as salt or non-clumping cat litter
  • Reflective or warning triangles to put outside the vehicle in the case of a breakdown 

Can I park on the street?

When snowfall exceeds two inches, the City of Akron automatically issues a parking ban on emergency snow streets, which are marked by signage.

A complete street parking ban generally only occurs when snowfall is greater than five inches, according to the dashboard. 

How can I check the roads outside Akron? 

The Ohio Department of Transportation’s OHGO app provides current construction and weather updates across the state. Updates can also be found on the OHGO website. 

Editor-in-Chief (she/her)
Zake has deep roots in Northeast Ohio journalism. She was the managing editor for multimedia and special projects at the Akron Beacon Journal, where she began work as a staff photographer in 1986. Over a 20-year career, Zake worked in a variety of roles across departments that all help inform her current role as Signal Akron's editor in chief. Most recently, she was a journalism professor and student media adviser at Kent State University, where she worked with the next generation of journalists to understand public policy, environmental reporting, data and solutions reporting. Among her accomplishments was the launch of the Kent State NewsLab, an experiential and collaborative news commons that connects student reporters with outside professional partners.