Tag Archives: Columbus Ohio weather history

Winter 2017-2018 Review

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Winter 2017-2018 Review Columbus, Ohio

Wind and heavy snow on the evening of January 12, 2018.

The Winter 2017-2018 Review shows the season featured some wild swings, from a very cold late December-early January to one of the warmest Februaries of all time. Let’s take a closer look at this volatile season, specifically December to February.

Temperature and snowfall ranking data goes back to the winter of 1878-1879. Snow depth ranking data goes back to 1940.

December-February Only
Average High: 40.2 29th Warmest
Average Low: 24.2 42nd Warmest
Mean: 32.2 36th Warmest
Precipitation: 9.40″ 33rd Wettest
Snowfall: 24.6″ 32nd Snowiest
Average Daily Snow Depth: 0.7″ 8th Lowest
32 or Below Highs: 29 21st Most
32 or Below Lows: 70 18th Fewest
Measurable Precipitation Days: 40
Measurable Snowfall Days: 20
Deepest Snow Depth: 5″ on January 16th and 17th
Days with 1″+ Snow Depth: 26 19th Most

Entire Cold Season: October-April
Average High: 49.6 29th Warmest
Average Low: 32.0 36th Coldest
Mean: 40.8 30th Warmest
Precipitation: 25.83″ 13th Wettest
Snowfall: 30.7″ 34th Snowiest
Average Snow Depth: 0.3″ 4th Lowest
32 or Below Highs: 29 19th Fewest
32 or Below Lows: 119 14th Most
Measurable Precipitation Days: 87 18th Most
Measurable Snowfall Days: 34 11th Most
Deepest Snow Depth: 5″ on January 16th and 17th
Days with 1″+ Snow Depth: 31 20th Most

Average High By Month
October 2017: 68.5 21st Warmest
November 2017: 52.5 33rd Warmest
December 2017: 38.6 36th Coldest
January 2018: 35.4 39th Coldest
February 2018: 47.3 7th Warmest
March 2018: 47.5 36th Coldest
April 2018: 58.0 14th Coldest

Average Low By Month
October 2017: 48.8 15th Warmest
November 2017: 34.8 38th Warmest
December 2017: 23.7 33rd Coldest
January 2018: 19.3 39th Coldest
February 2018: 30.3 9th Warmest
March 2018: 29.6 33rd Coldest
April 2018: 37.5 9th Coldest

Mean By Month
October 2017: 58.6 16th Warmest
November 2017: 43.6 32nd Warmest
December 2017: 31.2 37th Coldest
January 2018: 27.3 39th Coldest
February 2018: 38.8 7th Warmest
March 2018: 38.5 36th Coldest
April 2018: 47.7 12th Coldest

Precipitation By Month
October 2017: 3.57″ 28th Wettest
November 2017: 4.67″ 15th Wettest
December 2017: 1.76″ 28th Driest
January 2018: 2.39″ 64th Wettest
February 2018: 5.25″ 8th Wettest
March 2018: 2.96″ 57th Driest
April 2018: 5.23″ 15th Wettest

Snowfall By Month
October 2017: Trace 2nd Least Snowy
November 2017: Trace 2nd Least Snowy
December 2017: 8.1″ 23rd Snowiest
January 2018: 10.5″ 38th Snowiest
February 2018: 6.0″ 45th Snowiest
March 2018: 3.2″ 48th Least Snowy
April 2018: 2.9″ 8th Snowiest

Average Snow Depth By Month
October 2017: 0″ 1st Lowest
November 2017: 0″ 1st Lowest
December 2017: 0.3″ 4th Lowest
January 2018: 1.4″ 15th Lowest
February 2018: 0.4″ 5th Lowest
March 2018: 0.1″ 2nd Lowest
April 2018: 0.1″ 2nd Lowest



Maximum High By Month
October 2017: 86 on the 4th
November 2017: 73 on the 5th
December 2017: 60 on the 4th
January 2018: 60 on the 11th and 22nd
February 2018: 77 on the 20th
March 2018: 61 on the 19th and 29th
April 2018: 82 on the 13th

Record Highs
-The 77 on February 20th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 68 set in 1891 and 2016.

Minimum High By Month
October 2017: 43 on the 28th
November 2017: 35 on the 10th
December 2017: 17 on the 27th
January 2018: 10 on the 2nd
February 2018: 22 on the 2nd
March 2018: 33 on the 8th
April 2018: 37 on the 17th

Minimum High Records
-The 10 on January 2nd was a record for the date, beating the old record of 11 set in 1928.
-The 37 on April 17th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 39 set in 1907.

Maximum Low By Month
October 2017: 66 on the 7th
November 2017: 60 on the 5th
December 2017: 47 on the 22nd
January 2018: 52 on the 11th
February 2018: 60 on the 20th
March 2018: 51 on the 28th
April 2018: 63 on the 13th

Record Maximum Lows
-The 47 on December 22nd tied the record set in 2015, and ties for the warmest December low on record.
-The 55 on February 15th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 53 set in 1954.
-The 60 on February 20th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 49 set in 1930.
-The 63 on April 13th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 61 set in 1916.

Minimum Low By Month
October 2017: 31 on the 26th
November 2017: 21 on the 11th
December 2017: 2 on the 31st
January 2018: -4 on the 2nd
February 2018: 10 on the 5th
March 2018: 20 on the 10th
April 2018: 25 on the 8th

Highest Daily Precipitation By Month
October 2017: 1.14″ on the 8th
November 2017: 1.72″ on the 5th
December 2017: 0.72″ on the 23rd
January 2018: 0.66″ on the 12th
February 2018: 1.23″ on the 24th
March 2018: 0.83″ on the 1st
April 2018: 2.06″ on the 15th

Precipitation Records
-The 1.14″ on the October 8th was the record for the date, beating the old record of 0.92″ set in 1959.
-The 1.72″ on November 5th was the record for the date, beating the old record of 0.88″ set in 1988.
-The 1.95″ on April 3rd was a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.50″ set in 2000.
-The 2.06″ on April 15th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.46″ set in 1939.

Highest Daily Snowfall By Month
October 2017: Trace on the 28th
November 2017: Trace on the 22nd
December 2017: 2.1″ on the 30th
January 2018: 3.5″ on the 12th
February 2018: 4.4″ on the 7th
March 2018: 0.9″ on the 21st
April 2018: 0.9″ on the 1st

Snowfall Records
-The 4.4″ on February 7th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 3.6″ set in 1895.
-The 0.9″ on March 21st was a record for the date, beating the old record of 0.8″ set in 1984.

Deepest Snow Depth By Month
October 2017: 0″
November 2017: 0″
December 2017: 3″ on the 30th and 31st
January 2018: 5″ on the 16th and 17th
February 2018: 4″ on the 7th
March 2018: 1″ on the 8th, 14th and 21st
April 2018: 1″ on the 2nd and 7th

So overall, the winter was definitely warmer than normal, but not record-breaking, even with the extremely warm February. It was also wetter and snowier than normal as well.

To see other winter records and local weather information, check out the following links.
Winter Season Records
Wilmington National Weather Service

Other Winter Reviews
Winter 2016-2017
Winter 2015-2016
Winter 2014-2015



The Great Thanksgiving Blizzard of 1950

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The Great Thanksgiving Blizzard of 1950

Springfield, Ohio after the storm.

Exactly 67 years ago today, the Great Thanksgiving Blizzard of 1950 began. It was the biggest snowstorm for Columbus, and indeed most of Ohio, during the 40-year period of 1920-1960. That period, especially from the mid-1920s through the mid-1950s, had the lowest rates of cold and snowy winters of any comparable period. The average seasonal snowfall during that period was just 19.1″, a full 9″ below the average the 1980s-2010s have had to date. Still, the period was not without its memorable winters, including 1935-36, 1939-40 and 1947-48. None of those winters, however, had a snow event nearly as big as November 1950.

October 1950 had generally been very warm, ranking historically as the 19th warmest October in Columbus. Highs reached 65 or higher on 21 days of the month. This warmth lasted through early November, and the 80 degrees recorded on November 1st, 1950 remains tied for the warmest November temperature ever recorded. After that, the month seesawed up and down until a strong cold front and rainstorm on the 19th-20th dropped temperatures 25-30 degrees across the state, from the upper 50s-low 60s on the 20th to the low-mid 30s on the 21st. This front would be one of the catalysts for one of Ohio’s greatest winter weather events in its history.

Snow began in Columbus and other parts of Ohio on Thanksgiving, Thursday, November 23rd as a low moved through the Great Lakes and weakened. Behind that system, another cold high pressure was diving south out of Canada.

Thursday, November 23rd 1950 National Map

On Friday the 24th, a low formed on the stalled cold front that had moved through Ohio a few days earlier. Initially forming in southeastern North Carolina, this low would’ve normally gone out to see or moved up the East Coast as a Nor’easter. Instead, the strong, cold high pressure was moving into the Ohio Valley at the same time, and the little low exploded and as it began to move north. The strong push of cold was very evident in Ohio, as temperatures plunged from the upper-30s to upper 40s on Thanksgiving afternoon to single digits and low teens by early Friday morning.

Friday, November 24th, 1950 National Map

The low moved into southern Pennsylvania by the morning of the 25th, and then began to do something few other storms ever do- it began to retrograde toward the west and Ohio, continuing to strengthen as it went. The unusual west movement was caused by a blocking high pressure system parked over Maine.

Saturday, November 25th, 1950 National Map

Light snow that had been ongoing in Ohio on the 24th quickly intensified from east to west across the state as the low moved westward from Central Pennsylvania to Northern Ohio by the end of the day on the 25th. With it arrived winds of 40-60 miles per hour, causing blinding white-outs and drifting.
Saturday the 25th was the height of the storm as the low pressure bottomed out at 978mb, a pressure normally associated with hurricanes. This day was, coincidentally, the famed Ohio State-Michigan rivalry football game, now famously known as the “Snow Bowl” for its terrible weather conditions.

With temperatures on Saturday morning in the single digits, wind chills well below zero and with heavy snow, there was debate about cancelling the game altogether, which was the Big Ten Championship. Ironically, despite the fact that Ohio State would’ve gone on to the Rose Bowl had the game been cancelled (Michigan did not want to reschedule), it was Ohio State’s athletic director who ultimately refused to cancel the game, much to the rest of the staff’s disappointment. Perhaps after the fact, considering Ohio State lost 9-3, that decision was regretted, especially in front of the more than 50,000 die-hard fans that managed to show up for the game.

Columbus would receive 7.5″ at the airport, with eastern suburbs getting up to 10″, just on that Saturday alone.

Due to the blocking high pressure, the storm didn’t budge for days, and it continued through the 26th and 27th before slowly dying out. The last accumulating snowflakes from this system fell on the 29th, 6 days after the snow began.

Sunday, November 26th, 1950 National Map

Monday, November 27th, 1950 National Map

Tuesday, November 28th, 1950 National Map

Wednesday, November 29th, 1950 National Map

All in all, the storm was a record-breaker. Snow totals reached 10″ or more across most of the state except the far northwest and far southwest. In Central Ohio, snow had piled up between 10″-20″, with Columbus officially reporting 15.2″ for the duration of the event. This was the second-heaviest snowstorm in Columbus on record to that time, falling just shy of the 15.3″ that occurred February 17-18, 1910. Both of these storms would be surpassed by the February 14-17, 2003 snowstorm of 15.5″, which itself was surpassed by March 7-8th, 2008’s 20.5″.

Other totals in the state included up to 22″ in Cleveland, 27″ in Marietta, and reports of 44″ in Steubenville in far eastern Ohio. Totals of 25″-30″ were common throughout the eastern 1/3rd of the state. These totals are some of the highest the state has ever seen, coming close to those seen in the eastern Ohio snowstorm of April 1901.

In addition to the snow, record cold temperatures in Columbus of 5 degrees on the 25th (along with a record low maximum of 20) made this one of the greatest early winter events of all time.

Cleveland after the storm.

For more November weather records, go here: November Weather