FZUS81 KCLE 302034 ICELIO GREAT LAKES ICE OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OHIO 333 PM EST FRI DEC 30 2011 LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS LAKE ERIE LATE TONIGHT THEN A WEAK RIDGE WILL CROSS THE GREAT LAKES SATURDAY. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE REGION LATE SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. A RIDGE WILL PUSH EAST INTO THE LAKES TUESDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE LAKES WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. VARIABLE FLOW WILL PERSIST OVER LAKES SUPERIOR...MICHIGAN AND HURON OVERNIGHT. LAKE ERIE WILL SEE SOUTHERLY FLOW BECOMING WESTERLY. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL DEVELOP ON SATURDAY ACROSS THE ENTIRE GREAT LAKES REGION SHIFTING TO WESTERLY IN THE WESTERN LAKES SATURDAY NIGHT. GALE WATCHES HAVE BEEN POSTED FOR MUCH OF LAKE MICHIGAN SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY EVENING AND ON LAKE ERIE FROM SUNDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. ABOVE TO MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED ON THE LAKES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AHEAD OF A STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL DOWN TO NEAR TO SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL ON MONDAY AND BELOW NORMAL BY TUESDAY. NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL RETURN AGAIN ON WEDNESDAY. LITTLE IF ANY ICE WILL DEVELOP ON THE GREAT LAKES THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL CAUSE FAIRLY STRONG WINDS TO OCCUR CAUSING WATER TEMPERATURES TO DROP CONSIDERABLY THROUGH TUESDAY. THIS SHOULD HELP TO FORM ICE IN THE PROTECTED BAYS...HARBORS AND RIVERS. RAPID ICE DEVELOPMENT IS EXPECTED MONDAY INTO TUESDAY. THE OPEN WATERS OF THE LAKES REMAIN RELATIVELY WARM SO NO ICE IS EXPECTED IN THESE AREAS THROUGH THE NEXT 5 DAYS. $$ LOMBARDY