Tag Archives: Columbus Ohio weather forecast

Earliest First Snows in Columbus

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Earliest first snows in Columbus

The city and area may have its first accumulating snow this evening into Sunday, according to the Wilmington National Weather Service. Some may think that it’s a bit early for this to be happening, but in fact, there have been many years with far earlier first snowfalls. So what exactly were the earliest first snows in Columbus?

The earliest recorded measurable snowfall in Columbus occurred on October 10, 1906. A strong cold front brought rain on the 9th that changed to snow showers during the early morning hours of the 10th. The snow only amounted to 0.1″, but it was enough to be counted as officially the earliest measurable snowfall on record.

Here are earliest days with snowfall of any amount.
1. 10/4/2014: Trace
2. 10/9/1979: Trace
3. 10/10/1906: 0.1″
4. 10/11/1906: Trace
5. 10/12/1907, 10/12/1909, 10/12/1917, 10/12/1921, 10/12/1988, 10/12/1991, 10/12/2006: Trace
6. 10/13/2006: Trace
7. 10/14/1937: Trace
8. 10/16/1943, 10/16/1978, 10/16/2004: Trace
9. 10/18/1966, 10/18/1972, 10/18/1992: Trace
10. 10/19/1917, 10/19/1925, 10/19/1972, 10/19/1974, 10/19/1989: Trace
10. 10/19/1880: 1.0″
10. 10/19/1989: 0.4″
11. 10/20/1889, 10/20/1974, 10/20/1989, 10/20/1992: Trace
12. 10/21/1913, 10/21/1976, 10/21/1987, 10/21/1989: Trace
13. 10/22/1904, 10/22/1913, 10/22/1917: Trace
13. 10/22/1925: 1.0″
14. 10/23/1962, 10/23/2006, 10/23/2013: Trace
14. 10/23/1917: 0.6″
15. 10/24/1929, 10/24/1937, 10/24/1955, 10/24/1962, 10/24/2006, 10/24/2013: Trace
16. 10/25/1892, 10/25/1926, 10/25/1967, 10/25/1980: Trace
16. 10/25/1962: 1.3″
17. 10/26/1926, 10/26/1942, 10/26/1957, 10/26/1962, 10/26/1980, 10/26/2001: Trace
18. 10/27/1886, 10/27/1898, 10/27/1957, 10/27/1976, 10/27/2008: Trace
19. 10/28/1939, 10/28/1952, 10/28/1967, 10/28/2008, 10/28/2017: Trace
19. 10/28/1906: 0.1″
19. 10/28/1910, 10/28/1925: 0.5″
20. 10/29/1890, 10/29/1893, 10/29/1925, 10/29/2002, 10/29/2012: Trace

So the first traces of snow have occurred nearly a full month and a half prior to today’s date. In 2014, the first trace of snow occurred just a few weeks after the end of summer!

And here are the earliest measurable snowfalls only.
1. 10/10/1906: 0.1″
2. 10/19/1880: 1.0″
2. 10/19/1989: 0.4″
3. 10/22/1925: 1.0″
4. 10/23/1917: 0.6″
5. 10/25/1962: 1.3″
6. 10/28/1906: 0.1″
6. 10/28/1910, 10/28/1925: 0.5″
7. 10/30/1925: 1.5″
7. 10/30/1993: 3.6″
7. 10/30/2012: 0.6″
8. 10/31/1954: 0.2″
8. 10/31/1993: 1.0″
9. 11/1/1951, 11/1/1954: 0.2″
10. 11/2/1951: 1.3″
10. 11/2/1954: 0.2″
10. 11/2/1966: 4.7″
10. 11/2/1999: 1.1″
11. 11/3/1954: 0.1″
11. 11/3/1966: 1.0″
11. 11/3/1999: 0.4″
12. 11/4/1926: 1.4″
12. 11/4/1936: 3.5″
12. 11/4/1954: 0.4″
12. 11/4/1997: 0.5″
13. 11/5/1897, 11/5/1967: 0.1″
13. 11/5/1966: 0.3″
13. 11/5/1992: 1.2″
14. 11/6/1886: 1.2″
14. 11/6/1951, 11/6/1967: 0.2″
14. 11/6/1971: 1.8″
14. 11/6/1988: 0.8″
14. 11/6/1993: 0.1″
15. 11/7/1894: 3.0″
15. 11/7/1953: 0.4″
15. 11/7/1967: 0.9″
15. 11/7/1991: 0.2″
16. 11/8/1900: 0.5″
16. 11/8/1927, 11/8/1933: 0.1″
17. 11/9/1892: 2.1″
17. 11/9/1913: 5.0″
17. 11/9/1941, 11/9/1968: 0.3″
17. 11/9/1971: 0.7″
17. 11/9/1996: 0.2″
18. 11/10/1892: 1.5″
18. 11/10/1894: 0.3″
18. 11/10/1913: 2.5″
18. 11/10/1921: 0.5″
19. 11/11/1894, 11/11/1983: 0.5″
19. 11/11/1921, 11/11/2013: 0.3″
19. 11/11/1986: 0.4″
19. 11/11/1995: 0.1″
19. 11/11/2019: 2.1″
20. 11/12/1886: 2.2″
20. 11/12/1911: 0.2″
20. 11/12/1921: 0.5″
20. 11/12/1968: 0.4″
20. 11/12/1991: 0.3″
20. 11/12/2013: 0.9″
20. 11/12/2019: 0.7″

The average first snow in Columbus is typically between the 2nd and 3rd week of November, so really, this year’s first snow is arriving more or less right on schedule. Accumulations are predicted to be 1″ or less. Historic climatology records are available for all periods.



Late Season Snowfalls Through History

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Much to the potential annoyance of many, parts of Ohio- including Columbus are predicted to see a late-season snowfall Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. As late as it may seem, Columbus has seen even later season snowfalls since 1878. Though rare, these events do happen, and have sometimes been significant.

late season snowfalls Columbus, Ohio

The US weather map on the morning of May 21, 1883.

The absolute latest measurable snow occurred on May 21st, 1883, when 0.4″ fell. The amount was not impactful, but the date certainly was. People are normally thinking about summer by then, but instead got a nasty taste of winter. The present-day I-71 corridor in the state generally had had an inch or less- Cincinnati had upwards of 2″, with 3″ near Hamilton. However, areas just to the north and west were hammered with the heaviest May snow ever recorded.

An excerpt from the book “Thunder in the Heartland” by Thomas W. Schmidlin:
“A drizzling rain on Monday morning, 21 May, turned to snow at 9AM, and the air was filled with large, damp flakes all day. The Sidney Journal reported that ‘though it thawed, it lay six inches deep on Tuesday morning.’ Considering that much of the snow melted as it fell, a total of fifteen to twenty inches was estimated for Sidney. Snow depts of ten inches were measured on the north side of buildings at Houston in Shelby County.”

The Columbus Dispatch reported that snow fell in every major city from Lancaster north and west. Crops and trees were damaged by the heavy, wet snow across Western Ohio during the event. Temperatures at most locations were at or above freezing during the snow, so it did not stick around long after. Just 3 days later, it hit 80 degrees in Columbus.

Dates of Measurable Snowfalls After April 15th
1. May 21, 1883: 0.4″
2. May 9, 1923: 0.3″
3. May 7, 1989: 0.8″
4. April 30, 1908: 2.4″
5. April 24, 2005: 3.0″
6. April 22, 1893: 0.8″
6. April 22, 1901: 0.1″
7. April 21, 1934: 0.4″
7. April 21, 1936: 0.2″
7. April 21, 1953: 0.2″
8. April 20, 1910: 2.4″
8. April 20, 1962: 0.1″
9. April 19, 1887: 0.1″
9. April 19, 1907: 0.4″
9. April 19, 1969: 0.5″
9. April 19, 2019: 0.3″
10. April 18, 1983: 0.1″
10. April 18, 1984: 0.3″
11. April 17, 1961: 1.0″
11. April 17, 2001: 0.6″
12. April 16, 1935: 0.4″
12. April 16, 1956: 0.3″
12. April 16, 1996: 0.1″

Trace amounts have occurred many additional times after April 15th, including into early May. Measurable snow, however, has only occurred 23 times after April 15th since 1878. So snow after that date has occurred roughly once out of every 6.2 years. That rate is not going to be matched this time, as measurable snow fell on April 19th last year. Snow is predicted sometime tomorrow night, the 20th. If it ends up being measurable, it would fall into the tie of 8th latest such ever recorded.

To see more winter season records and local weather information and forecasts, go to the below links.
Wilmington National Weather Service
Winter Season Records
Winter Storms