Parts of the Great Lakes region will continue to be battered by lake-effect snow, with warnings in place into Friday. See the forecast.

Its that time of year we often discuss lake effect snow! But what is it and how does it form? Read on for more information

For those living near the Great Lakes, lake effect snow is not just a weather event -- it's a way of life.

Here's your full Power of 5 Weather Forecast for Cleveland, Akron, Mansfield, Sandusky, Ashtabula, and Northeast Ohio.

Winter storm watches continue for parts of New York, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Ohio on Wednesday, where lake-effect snow is expected to wallop parts of the Great Lakes region, while a good portion of the continental United States is experiencing bitter-cold temperatures.

What causes lake-effect snow? What to know about the winter weather phenomenon that has buried Ashtabula County, Northeast Ohio before winter arrives.

The National Weather Service says it may start out as rain, but as temperatures quickly drop to below freezing, a sudden burst of heavy snow is expected to drop an inch or so making driving tricky. The high wind gusts of up to 45 miles per hour in Greater Akron could create blowing and drifting of snow,