Cleanup efforts are wrapping up in certain areas of the Great Lakes region that were heavily affected by lake-effect snowstorms, which deposited over a foot of snow over the past weekend. However, meteorologists caution that another storm system could bring an additional few inches later in the week.

Many school districts in western Pennsylvania opted to remain closed on Tuesday as the snowstorms were finally beginning to subside after days of heavy snowfall. The lake-effect snow also impacted regions of western New York, Ohio, and Michigan, where some areas were covered with more than a foot (approximately 0.3 meters) of snow over the last five days. Reports indicated that by Monday, snow accumulation east of Lake Ontario had surpassed 5 feet (about 1.5 meters), according to local weather services.

Officials reported that cleanup crews were making significant headway in keeping the roads passable, and by Tuesday morning, most travel restrictions had been lifted. Nonetheless, drivers were still advised to exercise caution and reduce their speed. Additionally, a winter storm watch has been issued for portions of western Pennsylvania, where forecasts predict a new storm could bring between 3 to 9 inches (around 8 to 23 centimeters) of snow from late Wednesday into Thursday morning.

The recent heavy snowfall was implicated in several tragic accidents across the region. On Monday morning, three individuals lost their lives in a crash in Iowa when a driver attempted to overtake a snowplow, crossing into oncoming traffic. This incident occurred just before 9 a.m. in the 1700 block of Highway 1, located south of Kalona.

In this crash, a 2002 Buick Park Avenue, which was traveling south behind a snowplow, crossed into the northbound lanes to pass it but ended up colliding frontally with a 2013 Nissan Rogue. All three fatalities included the drivers from both vehicles and one front passenger in the Nissan, who were pronounced dead at the scene. Another occupant from one of the cars sustained injuries and was subsequently transported to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; however, details regarding the nature of the injuries and the specific vehicle of the injured passenger were not disclosed in the patrol’s report.