Tag Archives: 2009-2010 historic winter

The 2010 President’s Day Snowstorm

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The 2010 President’s Day Snowstorm was the third and largest snowstorm to strike Columbus and Ohio during February, 2010. Models began showing the potential for another snow event in the Ohio Valley several days before. Initially, the track was well south, with only counties along the Ohio River being impacted, as this excerpt from the February 12, 2010 Area Forecast Discussion from Wilmington National Weather Service mentions:
MODEL SOLUTIONS CONTINUE TO DIFFER ON SYSTEM COMING IN SUNDAY NIGHT INTO THE BEGINNING OF THE WORK WEEK. THE GEM IS STILL THE FURTHEST SOUTH WITH THE UPCOMING SYSTEM. THE ECMWF HAS TRENDED NORTH WITH THE LATEST RUN AND IS NOW MORE IN LINE WITH THE GFS. THE ECMWF NOW ACTUALLY HAS THE SURFACE LOW SLIGHTLY FURTHER NORTH THAN THE GFS.
WENT WITH A GFS AND ECMWF BLEND. IT WILL BE COLD ENOUGH THAT PRECIPITATION WILL ALL BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW. MONDAY WILL SEE THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR SNOW WITH LOW TRACKING ACROSS KENTUCKY. ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER.

As the event grew closer, however, model solutions inched northward. On the afternoon of Saturday, February 13th, Wilmington issued the first Winter Storm Watch for parts of Ohio, but the focus continued to be south of Columbus.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
222 PM EST SAT FEB 13 2010
…ANOTHER WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE OHIO VALLEY…
.LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP OVER THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY ON SUNDAY…AND WILL TRACK INTO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS BY MONDAY EVENING. AS THE LOW MOVES SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY…SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD PARTS OF INDIANA…KENTUCKY AND OHIO. THIS SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS PARTS OF THE OHIO VALLEY…ESPECIALLY ACROSS AREAS SOUTH OF THE I-70 CORRIDOR.
FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN-HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…BROOKVILLE…VERSAILLES…LAWRENCEBURG…RISING SUN…VEVAY…CARROLLTON…WARSAW…
BURLINGTON…INDEPENDENCE…ALEXANDRIA…OWENTON…WILLIAMSTOWN…FALMOUTH…BROOKSVILLE…MOUNT OLIVET…MAYSVILLE…VANCEBURG…WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE…CIRCLEVILLE…LANCASTER…HAMILTON…
LEBANON…WILMINGTON…CHILLICOTHE…LOGAN…CINCINNATI…MILFORD…GEORGETOWN…HILLSBORO…WEST UNION…PIKETON…PORTSMOUTH
…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT.
LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SUNDAY EVENING…AS A STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. SNOW WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY THROUGH EARLY MONDAY…WITH OCCASIONAL SNOW CONTINUING INTO MONDAY EVENING. BY THE TIME SNOW ENDS EARLY TUESDAY…THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES…WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS.
THESE FORECAST SNOW AMOUNTS ARE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF THE UPCOMING STORM SYSTEM. IF THE SYSTEM MOVES FURTHER NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK…THEN SNOWFALL AMOUNTS MAY BE LESS.

While Columbus was not included in the initial Watch, its zone forecast did call for accumulating snow by the 13th.
OHZ054>056-140930-
MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…LONDON…COLUMBUS…NEWARK
332 PM EST SAT FEB 13 2010
.TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED FLURRIES. LOWS 15 TO 20. WEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.SUNDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. SCATTERED FLURRIES IN THE MORNING. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 20S. SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS 10 TO 15. WEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH…BECOMING NORTHWEST AFTER MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF SNOW 40 PERCENT.
.PRESIDENTS DAY…SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATION 2 TO 4 INCHES. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S. NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH…BECOMING NORTHWEST IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF SNOW 80 PERCENT.
.MONDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY. SNOW LIKELY IN THE EVENING…THEN A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. LOWS 15 TO 20. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 70 PERCENT.
.TUESDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S.
.TUESDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS AROUND 20.

By the morning of the Valentine’s Day, models had moved far enough north with the low track that the I-70 corridor was in line for much higher totals. At 2:43AM that day, the Winter Storm Watch was expanded into Central Ohio, with predictions of 5″-8″. By late morning, the Watch was upgraded to a Warning, and totals were upped slightly to 6″-9″.
OHZ054>056-150930-
MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…LONDON…COLUMBUS…NEWARK
409 PM EST SUN FEB 14 2010
…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM MONDAY TO 6 AM EST TUESDAY…
.TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY THIS EVENING…THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW LATE. LOWS 15 TO 20. SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH… BECOMING SOUTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF SNOW 40 PERCENT.
.PRESIDENTS DAY…SNOW. SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 4 TO 6 INCHES. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH…BECOMING NORTH IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF SNOW 100 PERCENT.
.MONDAY NIGHT…SNOW…MAINLY IN THE EVENING. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 6 TO 9 INCHES. LOWS AROUND 20. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 90 PERCENT.
.TUESDAY…CLOUDY. SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY…MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S. WEST WINDS 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 60 PERCENT.
.TUESDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS.LOWS IN THE LOWER 20S. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

Snow began in the area by 8:30AM on the 15th and was heavy through mid-afternoon. The bulk of the snow moved out of the area by Midnight, with only occasional wraparound snow showers continuing into the 16th.

The storm generally exceeded forecast snow totals across the region. Columbus received a record 9.7″ for the 15th, with a total storm total of 10.4″, making it one of the very rare storms to produce double-digit snowfall totals for the city. Since 1950, Columbus has had just 6 such events- the Great Thanksgiving Blizzard of 1950, April 3-4, 1987, February 14-17, 2003, March, 2008, President’s Day 2010 and February 4-5, 2014. Double-digit snowfalls have historically occurred roughly once every 12 years. It has been 9 years since the last one, but there have been decades between some of them.

Snowfall totals across Franklin County were 7″-11″, with the highest totals in the southwest. Most of the I-70 corridor south had at least 6″. Snow depths in Columbus reached record highs, with the airport having a post-storm depth of 14″, the highest February depth since at least 1939.

This was the peak event for the month, but not the end of February, 2010’s historically snowy run. A 4th, but far smaller snow event would occur towards the end of the month, bringing a general 3″-5″ across most areas. This would contribute to making the month the all-time snowiest on record for many areas. Columbus’ 30.1″ of snow for the month was the highest on record, and is the 2nd snowiest of any month to ever occur, falling just behind January, 1978’s 34.4″. Cincinnati, Dayton and other cities would also record either their top snowiest or 2nd snowiest February as well. Additionally, Winter 2009-2010 went into the record books at the 5th snowiest of all time. A truly memorable run!

If you are interested in seeing stats from other winters, records of all types can be found on the Winter Season Records page.



The February 5-6, 2010 Snowstorm

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The winter of 2009-2010 will go down as one of the best ever (if you like winter, that is). The biggest reason for that is February 2010 and its cascade of significant winter storms that placed the month as one of the snowiest of all time. The February 5-6, 2010 snowstorm event was one of the capping events of the month and winter as a whole.

The first event started in the morning on February 5th. Forecasts in the days leading up to this event were mixed. Models were showing a lot of precipitation, but also a strong push of upper-level warm air into Ohio. How far north this warm layer reached was the point of contention. In most years, the WTOD, or the “Warm Tongue of Death” as some Ohio weather enthusiasts like to refer to it, is a constant threat each and every winter. When a storm is moving north or northeast south of the state, they tend to pull warm air north, and the Appalachian Mountains act like a funnel directing this warm air straight into Ohio. During winter events, it presents itself as a layer of warm air above the surface, often turning snow to ice, sleet or just plain rain, even if the surface itself is relatively cold. It’s a constant source of frustration for winter weather lovers. It was this phenomenon that was predicted to strike again and the dividing line, as it so often is, was predicted to be along I-70/I-71. North of there, mostly or all snow was predicted, while south was more mix, ice and rain. The I-70 corridor, including Columbus, was to be the northern extent of this mixing, limiting snowfall accumulations. Still, even with the mix predicted, a solid 4″-6″ was predicted, which is a decent event by itself and typically the largest snow event of any given winter.

Precipitation began as snow across southern counties by dawn and spread north, reaching the Columbus area between 9AM and 9:30AM. It started out as flurries, but the flakes were already fairly large. Within 15 minutes, the flurries had turned to very heavy, wet snow. Flakes were as large as quarters at times and stayed large, accumulating quickly despite the above freezing temperatures. Visibility quickly dropped to a half mile or less at times, and traffic quickly snarled with accidents as plows could not keep up with the pace of the inch-per-hour snowfall rates. Between 4PM and 5PM, there was a respite as snowfall lightened and there was a mix of sleet and ice pellets, but all snow resumed once heavier precipitation moved in, concluding the only and very short period of mixing I-70 had. Snow continued through the night of the 5th and into the 6th, finally ending before noon.

Snowfall totals were impressive, especially along and north of I-70, where little mixing took place, but also in pockets to the southeast of Columbus, like Lancaster. For Columbus, the 9.9″ that fell was good enough to be a top 15 largest snowstorm for the city. It would not, however, be the largest snowfall of the month.

Some snow totals across Ohio from February 5-6, 2010
Greenville: 14.8″
Lancaster: 13.0″
Akron: 12.1″
Bellefontaine: 12.0″
Urbana: 12.0″
Westerville: 11.4″
Dayton: 11.1″
Springfield: 11.0″
Columbus: 9.9″
Youngstown: 8.4″
Delaware: 8.0″
Cleveland: 5.9″
Cincinnati: 4.5″
Circleville: 3.0″
Toledo: 3.0″

The February 5-6, 2010 snowstorm Columbus, Ohio

Snow totals for the NWS Wilmington area.

This event was the only the beginning of what would be a trio of consecutive snowstorms that would strike the area over the course of 11 days, including the February 9-10, 2010 Snowstorm, which occurred just a few days later.

The Wilmington National Weather Service, meanwhile, is a great source if you want to know the current weather in the area.