Our most common winter storm comes at us from the northwest. Its called the Alberta Clipper...a fast-moving storm that moves southeastward out of Alberta Province, Canada toward the Great Lakes. Clippers are common and affect our area every few weeks during winter. Because clippers come from up north, they are usually weak and starved for moisture. Snowfall totals are generally in the 1 to 3 inch range. On rare occasions, though, the center of the clipper may track directly over Lake Erie and pick up some extra moisture. I've seen cases where 5-10 inches of snow fell from a lonely "little" Alberta Clipper!
-Mark Johnson