Tag Archives: Columbus Ohio winter weather

March 7-8, 2008- Columbus’ Greatest Snowstorm

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The March, 2008 Columbus snowstorm was a historic and memorable event that will likely not be surpassed for a very long time, if ever. More than one week prior to the Blizzard of 2008, models had been hinting at a significant storm somewhere in the eastern US. Initially, models took the storm up the East Coast, but as the storm neared, models moved it further and further west and settled upon a track just west/just along the spine of the Appalachians. The track waffled for days, but never strayed far from the Appalachian track. Because the storm was originating near the Gulf of Mexico, models were showing the storm pulling vast amounts of moisture north into cold air over the Ohio Valley. Simply put, the track and conditions were being forecast to be perfect for a significant Ohio snowstorm.

Local forecasters, however, weren’t buying it… at least not at first. Four days before the storm, neither the NWS nor the television forecasters were calling for a significant event. The winter of 2007-08 had brought several storm busts, and none of them seemed ready to buy into another one. So right up to 24-36 hours before the event began, most forecasters were calling for 6″ maximum north and west of the I-71 corridor with a mix along the corridor and mostly rain to the south and east.

At 4AM on March 6th, the National Weather Service issued a Winter Storm Watch for parts of Ohio, including Central Ohio. The Watch called for 5″-10″ northwest of I-71, with lesser amounts along 71 due to a predicted changeover to sleet and freezing rain and far less just to the south and east.

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
353 AM EST THU MAR 6 2008

INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>095-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-
051>056-060>063-070>072-077-078-061700-
/O.NEW.KILN.WS.A.0005.080307T1200Z-080309T0000Z/
WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-
SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-
HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE-SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-
CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-
GREENE-FAYETTE OH-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…RICHMOND…CONNERSVILLE…LIBERTY…
BROOKVILLE…VERSAILLES…LAWRENCEBURG…RISING SUN…VEVAY…
CARROLLTON…WARSAW…BURLINGTON…INDEPENDENCE…ALEXANDRIA…
OWENTON…WILLIAMSTOWN…KENTON…CELINA…WAPAKONETA…
GREENVILLE…SIDNEY…BELLEFONTAINE…MARYSVILLE…DELAWARE…
PIQUA…URBANA…SPRINGFIELD…LONDON…COLUMBUS…NEWARK…
EATON…DAYTON…XENIA…WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE…HAMILTON…
LEBANON…WILMINGTON…CINCINNATI…MILFORD
353 AM EST THU MAR 6 2008

…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH
SATURDAY EVENING…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH
SATURDAY EVENING.

LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP IN THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY LATE
TONIGHT AND LIFT NORTHEAST INTO THE TENNESSEE AND OHIO VALLEYS
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION FROM THE
SOUTH ON FRIDAY MORNING. THE SNOW WILL LIKELY MIX WITH OR
CHANGE OVER TO SLEET AND FREEZING RAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ALONG AND TO THE EAST OF THE INTERSTATE 71 CORRIDOR FROM
CINCINNATI TO COLUMBUS. AS COLDER AIR FILTERS BACK INTO THE
REGION…ANY MIXED PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE BACK TO ALL SNOW
FRIDAY NIGHT AND CONTINUE INTO SATURDAY. MINOR ICE ACCUMULATIONS
ON TREES AND POWER LINES WILL BE POSSIBLE. PRECIPITATION WILL
REMAIN MOSTLY ALL SNOW WEST OF THE INTERSTATE 71 CORRIDOR. 5 TO 10
INCHES OF SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS…WITH LIGHTER
AMOUNTS FURTHER EAST WHERE SNOW MIXES WITH FREEZING RAIN AND
SLEET.

THE EXACT PATH AND STRENGTH OF THE SYSTEM IS STILL IN QUESTION.
IF THE SYSTEM MOVES FARTHER WEST MORE WARM AIR WILL LIFT INTO THE
REGION…CAUSING LOWER SNOWFALL TOTALS AND MORE MIXED PRECIPITATION.
IF THE SYSTEM SLIDES FARTHER EAST…LESS MIXED PRECIPITATION WOULD
OCCUR AND SNOWFALL TOTALS WOULD BE HIGHER.

The Watch above did acknowledge that less mix could lead to higher totals, but nothing to the degree that would eventually fall. By later on the afternoon of the 6th, Watch totals did begin to creep up somewhat to 6″-10″ for the I-71 corridor, but the forecast still called for significant icing.

A Winter Storm Warning was finally issued at 4:30AM on March 7th, just hours before the snow would begin to fall.

OHZ045-046-053>056-062-063-071-072-078-071745-
/O.UPG.KILN.WS.A.0005.080307T1200Z-080309T0000Z/
/O.NEW.KILN.WS.W.0006.080307T1700Z-080308T2100Z/
UNION OH-DELAWARE-CLARK-MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-GREENE-
FAYETTE OH-WARREN-CLINTON-CLERMONT-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…MARYSVILLE…DELAWARE…SPRINGFIELD…
LONDON…COLUMBUS…NEWARK…XENIA…WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE…
LEBANON…WILMINGTON…MILFORD
436 AM EST FRI MAR 7 2008

…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 4 PM EST
SATURDAY…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER
STORM WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 4 PM EST
SATURDAY.

LIGHT SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION LATE THIS MORNING. THE SNOW
WILL BECOME HEAVIER THIS AFTERNOON…AND LAST THROUGH SATURDAY
AFTERNOON. FIVE TO SEVEN INCHES OF SNOW IS EXPECTED
TONIGHT…WITH AN ADDITIONAL FIVE TO SEVEN INCHES FALLING SATURDAY
MORNING. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF AND END SATURDAY AFTERNOON. IN
ADDITION…NORTH WINDS AT 20 TO 30 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS WILL
CAUSE SIGNIFICANT BLOWING AND DRIFTING…AND LIMIT VISIBILITIES TO
NEAR ZERO AT TIMES. BY LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON…A FOOT OR MORE OF
SNOW IS EXPECTED WITH DRIFTS OVER TWO FEET.

The Warning abandoned all mention of mixing as models came in colder, and totals were now predicted to be at least a foot in the Columbus area with near blizzard conditions.



My personal account of the storm:

On Thursday, March 6th, I worked a 12-hour day at my store. Customers were talking about forecasts of 4-8″, which in central Ohio is significant in and of itself. We typically get one or two 6″ storms, but rarely up to 8″ and almost never more than that. In fact, in all of Columbus history, there have been less than a dozen snow events that broke double digits. Still, in the talking there were whispers that the storm would be more significant. By Thursday night when I arrived home, I discovered the radar was lit up over the South with a growing area of precipitation heading north. Temperatures had already cooled into the low 30s as a cold front had moved through during the day. Forecasts had changed late in the afternoon, and there were many calls of 6-10″ along I-71 by Sunday.

Friday, March 7th was my day off, and I woke up before 8am in the excitement and inticipation of the impending snow. The radar was showing returns north of the Ohio River then and it was already snowing in Cincinnati. Finally, at 9:05am, flurries began to fall and quickly intensified to a steady, windblown snow. A 9:30, I left the house to go to the store. By the time I reached it, the snow had turned heavy and was accumulating quickly. Visibility had dropped to a 1/4 mile at times and many roads were already snowcovered by the time I reached home.

The snow continued throughout the day and forecasts kept changing. At 3:30PM, the Winter Storm Warning was upgraded to a Blizzard Warning for the entire area until 4PM the following day.

URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
325 PM EST FRI MAR 7 2008

…EXTREME WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS EXPECTED THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON…

.A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE OHIO VALLEY
OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THIS STORM WILL HIT AS A ONE TWO PUNCH.
THE INITIAL PUNCH TODAY…FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF LULL IN THE SNOW
INTENSITY THIS EVENING…BEFORE PICKING UP IN INTENSITY AGAIN
OVERNIGHT WHEN STRONG LOW PRESSURE WILL COMBINE WITH AN UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE TO BRING A SECOND ROUND OF HEAVY SNOW TO THE
REGION. WINDS WILL GUST UP TO 40 MPH AT TIMES OVERNIGHT…THESE
WINDS COMBINED WITH SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL CAUSE EXTREME
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS.

INZ066-073>075-080-KYZ089>099-OHZ026-043>046-051>056-060>065-
070>073-077>080-082-080430-
/O.CAN.KILN.WS.W.0006.000000T0000Z-080308T2100Z/
/O.NEW.KILN.BZ.W.0001.080307T2025Z-080308T2100Z/
FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-
BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-
MASON-HARDIN-SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-
MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE-FAYETTE OH-
PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-
BROWN-HIGHLAND-PIKE-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…BROOKVILLE…VERSAILLES…
LAWRENCEBURG…RISING SUN…VEVAY…CARROLLTON…WARSAW…
BURLINGTON…INDEPENDENCE…ALEXANDRIA…OWENTON…WILLIAMSTOWN…
FALMOUTH…BROOKSVILLE…MOUNT OLIVET…MAYSVILLE…KENTON…
SIDNEY…BELLEFONTAINE…MARYSVILLE…DELAWARE…PIQUA…URBANA…
SPRINGFIELD…LONDON…COLUMBUS…NEWARK…EATON…DAYTON…
XENIA…WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE…CIRCLEVILLE…LANCASTER…
HAMILTON…LEBANON…WILMINGTON…CHILLICOTHE…CINCINNATI…
MILFORD…GEORGETOWN…HILLSBORO…PIKETON
325 PM EST FRI MAR 7 2008

…BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST SATURDAY…
…WINTER STORM WARNING IS CANCELLED…

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A BLIZZARD
WARNING…WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM EST SATURDAY. THE WINTER
STORM WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

A MAJOR WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE OHIO VALLEY
OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THIS STORM WILL HIT AS A ONE TWO PUNCH.
THE INITIAL PUNCH TODAY…FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF LULL IN THE SNOW
INTENSITY THIS EVENING…BEFORE PICKING UP IN INTENSITY AGAIN
OVERNIGHT WHEN STRONG LOW PRESSURE WILL COMBINE WITH AN UPPER
LEVEL DISTURBANCE TO BRING A SECOND ROUND OF HEAVY SNOW TO THE
REGION. WINDS WILL GUST UP TO 40 MPH AT TIMES OVERNIGHT. BEFORE
THE STORM ENDS SATURDAY AFTERNOON…YOU CAN EXPECT 10 TO 15 INCHES
OF ACCUMULATION. THE STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH SNOW AND BLOWING
SNOW WILL CAUSE EXTREME WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS. THE SNOW AND
BLOWING SNOW WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES TO NEAR ZERO AT TIMES
CAUSING WHITEOUT…AND BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

DO NOT TRAVEL UNLESS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. CONDITIONS CAN DETERIORATE
RAPIDLY IN BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.

Meanwhile, the snow continued into the evening and overnight hours of the 7th. Although it did lighten somewhat towards midnight, it never completely stopped. By midnight, in any case, 5-7″ had fallen throughout Columbus and central Ohio, which set a daily record.

Saturday, March 8th dawned very wintry. By dawn, no less than 10″ was on the ground and the snow was continuing to fall heavily. Winds were generally sustained near 20mph in the morning and increased during the late morning/early afternoon. Heavy snow and winds combined to create total whiteout conditions at times, and every county along I-71 from Cincinnati to Cleveland went under a level 2 or level 3 snow emergency.

At 11am, I went for a walk in the snow. It was still falling heavily and roads were nearly impassable with deep snow. Cars in some cases were buried in snow.

By 2pm, a break in the snowfall came as the low moved to the east of Ohio. When it moved into New York, wraparound snow moved back into the area for 3-4 more hours before ending by 6:30pm Saturday afternoon. The sun even poked through the clouds as it set, producing a very picturesque and beautiful winter scene. A fitting end to the day.

All in all, it was a record setting snowstorm all across the state. Columbus’ 20.5″ of snowfall, including 15.5″ on Saturday alone, was the greatest snowstorm of all time for the city. It also established the greatest 24-hour snowfall and the greatest snow depth ever recorded for any month at 18″. No part of the state was spared, as all major cities except Toledo had 10″ or more. Drifts of 5-7 feet deep were reported in many areas.

Aside from Columbus’ record, here were some other totals across Ohio.
Cincinnati: 10.7″
Dayton: 15.4″
Lancaster: 17.0″
Akron: 17.1″
Marysville: 15.5″
Chillicothe: 14.0″
Westerville: 15.0″
Grove City: 11.3″
London: 17.0″
Cleveland: 14.8″
Delaware: 13.5″
Springfield: 15.0″
Belletontaine: 11.0″
Circleville: 13.5″

The storm also brought some areas of the state to record territory in total seasonal snowfall.

Incidentally, 30 years and 2 months prior, the Great Blizzard of 1978 struck. It is somewhat of note that Ohio’s greatest blizzards on record occurred during the “8” years. 1918, 1978, and now 2008.

The first image below is a model snow depth forecast ending on March 9th. The second is a photo of the heavy snow in Columbus during the evening of the 7th.
March 7-8, 2008- Columbus' greatest snowstorm

Snow in Hilltop, Columbus.

Here are some videos during the storm.
Cincinnati

Cleveland

Columbus

Historic winter storms from other months and years, along with many more records, can be found under Weather History
And to look up current weather and local forecasts go here: Wilmington National Weather Service




Cool Link: Columbus Area Sledding Hills

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Columbus area sledding hills

Given the recent snow, it might be a good time to share information on the best Columbus area sledding hills.

Columbus Sledding Hills

This link breaks down parks and other areas that have sled hills by side of the city/metro area. The list has dozens of places, so it should not be difficult to find a new favorite sledding place.

To get other information on Columbus activities and much more, visit Columbus Links and Resources

New Year’s Climatology

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New Year's climatology

New Years weather has historically been surprisingly tranquil, with some exceptions. Highs have generally been in the 30s or 40s and significant snowfalls have been rare. The records for New Year’s climatology run back to 1878.

New Year’s Eve Normals
High: 37
Low: 24
Mean: 30
Precipitation: 0.09″
Snowfall: 0.2″

New Year’s Day Normals
High: 37
Low: 23
Mean: 30
Precipitation: 0.10″
Snowfall: 0.3″

Temperature Records

Top 10 Coldest New Year’s Eve Highs
1. 1880: 10
2. 1976: 13
3. 1899: 16
4. 1917, 1962: 17
5. 2017: 19
6. 1894, 1998: 23
7. 1881, 1963, 1983, 2001: 24
8. 1914, 1961, 1997: 25
9. 1939, 1946, 2014: 26
10. 1935: 27

Top 10 Coldest New Year’s Day Highs
1. 1928: 8
2. 1968: 10
3. 2018: 11
4. 1977: 12
5. 1900: 16
6. 1969: 17
7. 1898, 1918: 18
8. 1940: 19
9. 1999: 20
10. 1881: 21

Top 10 Coldest New Year’s Eve Lows
1. 1976: -5
2. 1880: -3
3. 1899, 1963: 1
4. 1961, 1962, 2017: 2
5. 1983: 3
6. 1935, 1939: 6
7. 1902, 1917: 7
8. 1878, 1927, 1968: 8
9. 1960, 1967: 10
10. 1914, 2000: 11

Top 10 Coldest New Year’s Day Lows
1. 1968: -6
2. 2018: -2
3. 1928: -1
4. 1881: 0
5. 1977: 1
6. 1945: 2
7. 1940: 3
8. 1898, 1918, 1963: 4
9. 1900, 1969: 5
10. 20001: 6

Top 10 Coldest New Year’s Eve Means
1. 1880: 3.5
2. 1976: 4
3. 1899: 8.5
4. 1962: 9.5
5. 2017: 10.5
6. 1917: 12
7. 1963: 12.5
8. 1961, 1983: 13.5
9. 1939: 16
10. 1935: 16.5

Top 10 Coldest New Year’s Day Means
1. 1968: 2
2. 1928: 3.5
3. 2018: 4.5
4. 1977: 6.5
5. 1881, 1900: 10.5
6. 1898, 1918, 1940, 1969: 11
7. 1963, 1999: 13.5
8. 1887: 15
9. 2001: 16
10. 1974: 16.5

Top 10 Warmest New Year’s Eve Highs
1. 1951: 68
2. 1965: 63
3. 2010: 62
4. 2006, 2018: 61
5. 1992: 60
6. 1884, 1978, 2022: 59
7. 1972, 2021: 58
8. 1923, 1936: 57
9. 1906, 1933, 2004: 54
10. 1896, 1984, 2002: 53

Top 10 Warmest New Year’s Day Highs
1. 1952: 67
2. 1985: 65
3. 1890: 62
4. 1897: 61
5. 1930: 60
6. 1916, 1921, 1979, 2022: 59
7. 2011, 2019: 58
8. 1955: 57
9. 1905, 1934, 1948: 56
10. 1892, 1919, 2012: 55

Top 10 Warmest New Year’s Eve Lows
1. 1965: 52
2. 2004: 50
3. 2006, 2010: 45
4. 1951: 44
5. 1918, 1978: 43
6. 2021: 42
7. 1937, 1947, 2002: 41
8. 1896, 1933, 2011, 2022: 39
9. 1906, 1929, 1931, 1972: 37
10. 1995, 2018: 36

Top 10 Warmest New Year’s Day Lows
1. 1930: 47
2. 2005: 46
3. 1892: 43
4. 1891: 42
5. 1916, 1921, 1950, 1966, 2022: 41
6. 1897, 1905, 1932, 2019: 39
7. 1941, 1942, 1952: 38
8. 1890, 1907, 1996, 2007: 36
9. 1948, 1959: 35
10. 1886, 1943, 1967, 1992, 1997, 2023: 34

Top 10 Warmest New Year’s Eve Means
1. 1965: 57.5
2. 1951: 56
3. 2010: 53.5
4. 2006: 53
5. 2004: 52
6. 1978: 51
7. 2021: 50
8. 2022: 49
9. 2018: 48.5
10. 1972: 47.5

Top 10 Warmest New Year’s Day Means
1. 1930: 53.5
2. 1952: 52.5
3. 1897, 1916, 1921, 2022: 50
4. 1890, 1892, 1985, 2005: 49
5. 2019: 48.5
6. 1891: 48
7. 1905, 1950: 47.5
8. 1966: 46.5
9. 1942: 46
10. 1948: 45.5

New Year’s Eve High Temperatures by Occurrence since 1878
0 or Below: 0
1-9: 0
10-19: 6
20-29: 18
30-39: 51
40-49: 44
50-59: 21
60 and Above: 6

New Year’s Day High Temperatures by Occurrence since 1878
0 or Below: 0
1-9: 1
10-19: 8
20-29: 20
30-39: 48
40-49: 40
50-59: 25
60 and Above: 5

New Year’s Eve Low Temperatures by Occurrence since 1878
0 or Below: 2
1-9: 13
10-19: 27
20-29: 48
30-39: 45
40-49: 9
50-59: 2
60 and Above: 0

New Year’s Day Low Temperatures by Occurrence since 1878
0 or Below: 4
1-9: 15
10-19: 26
20-29 52
30-39: 41
40-49: 9
50-59: 0
60 and Above: 0



Precipitation Records

Top 10 Wettest New Year’s Eves
1. 2018: 1.01″
2. 1887: 0.89″
3. 1886: 0.76″
4. 1879: 0.74″
5. 1944: 0.71″
6. 1978: 0.67″
7. 1927: 0.49″
8. 1974: 0.47″
9. 1897, 1989, 2006: 0.46″
10. 2022: 0.44″

Top 10 Wettest New Year’s Days
1. 2022: 1.34″
2. 1948: 1.28″
3. 2021: 1.04″
4. 1916: 1.02″
5. 1979: 0.89″
6. 1919: 0.71″
7. 1959: 0.62″
8. 1893: 0.60″
9. 2003: 0.54″
10. 1964: 0.50″

New Year’s Eve Precipitation by Amount Occurrence since 1878
None: 43
Trace: 35
0.01-0.24: 47
0.25-0.49: 15
0.50-0.99: 5
1.00 or More: 1

New Year’s Day Precipitation by Amount Occurrence since 1878
None: 50
Trace: 34
0.01-0.24: 38
0.25-0.49: 14
0.50-0.99: 6
1.00 or More: 4

Top 10 Snowiest New Year’s Eves
1. 1897: 3.6″
2. 1892: 3.0″
3. 1960: 2.6″
4. 1967: 2.4″
5. 2009: 2.1″
6. 1980: 2.0″
7. 1973: 1.9″
8. 1998, 2012: 1.7″
9. 1887: 1.6″
10. 1961: 0.9″

Top 10 Snowiest New Year’s Days
1. 1964: 5.2″
2. 1883: 3.9″
3. 1887: 2.5″
4. 1970: 2.2″
5. 1884: 1.8″
6. 1945: 1.7″
7. 1961: 1.6″
8. 1928: 1.3″
9. 1918: 1.2″
10. 1981: 1.1″

Top 10 Snowiest New Year’s Holidays (Both December 31st and January 1st Combined)
1. 1963-1964: 5.2″
2. 1960-1961: 4.2″
3. 1892-1893: 4.0″
4. 1882-1883: 3.9″
5. 1897-1898: 3.6″
6. 1980-1981: 3.1″
7. 2009-2010: 2.7″
8. 1969-1970: 2.6″
9. 1886-1887: 2.5″
10. 1967-1968: 2.4″

New Year’s Eve Snowfall by Amount Occurrence since 1878
None: 91
Trace: 28
0.1-0.4: 13
0.5-0.9: 4
1.0-2.4: 7
2.5-4.9: 3
5.0 or More: 0

New Year’s Day Snowfall by Amount Occurrence since 1878
None: 88
Trace: 28
0.1-0.4: 13
0.5-0.9: 4
1.0-2.4: 10
2.5-4.9: 2
5.0 or More: 1

Top 5 Deepest New Year’s Eve Snow Depths since 1940
1. 2012: 7″
2. 1973, 2000: 4″
3. 1960, 1976, 2017: 3″
4. 1961, 1995, 1997, 2009: 2″
5. 1967, 1969, 1993, 1998, 2020: 1″

Top 5 Deepest New Year’s Day Snow Depths since 1940
1. 2013: 9″
2. 1961: 6″
3. 2001: 4″
4. 1974, 1977: 3″
5. 1940, 1945, 1962, 1968, 1981, 2018: 2″

For more local weather records, visit:
Weather History
And for current local weather and forecasts, visit:
Wilmington National Weather Service



Does Fall Weather Correlate to Winter Severity?

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winter severity

Republished with data through the 2019-2020 winter.

As we go into the winter season, it’s time to talk about how this one might end up. There’s a belief that fall weather is a good sign of how cold or warm winter will be. Let’s see if that holds true.

First, let’s just look at October temperatures.
The October normal mean temperature for Columbus is 55 degrees.

Between 1878 and 2019, there have been 47 Octobers that featured a mean temperature of 53.9 degrees or lower, what we’re considering a Cold October for the purposes of this comparison.
Of those 47 Octobers, 27 of the 47 had following winters that were colder than normal, or 57.4%, 13 had average temperature winters, or 27.7%, and the remaining 7 were warmer than normal, or 14.9%.
Interestingly, this category contains both the warmest winter on record- 1889-1890 and the coldest on record- 1976-1977- as shown by the chart below.

Next, we look at Normal Octobers, which are +/- 1 degree of the 1981-2010 Average of 55 degrees.
Between 1878 and 2019, there were 45 normal Octobers. Of those, 21 had colder than normal following winters, or 46.7%. 11 were followed by normal winters, or 24.4%, and 13 had warmer than normal winters, or 28.9%.

Finally, let’s look at warm Octobers, which are those with means of 56.1 degrees or higher. There were 49 Octobers with warmer than normal means since 1878. Of those, 18 featured following winters that were colder than normal, or 36.7%. Another 19, or 38.8%, were followed by average winters. The final 12 winters, or 24.5%, were warmer than normal. Here’s the graph.

So just based on the October mean temperature, Octobers that are colder than normal are almost twice as likely as normal Octobers and almost 4x as likely as warm Octobers to be followed by a cold winter. But what about Novembers? It is closer to winter itself, so does its weather matter even more?

Colder than normal Novembers- 43.3 degrees or lower- included 80 Novembers since 1878. Of those, 38 or 47.5% had colder than normal winters. 22 (27.5%) had normal winters and 19, or 23.8%, had warmer than normal winters.

With the 39 normal Novembers, 43.4 to 45.4 degrees, there were 18 that had colder than normal winters, or 46.2%, with 12 normal winters (30.8%) and 9 warmer than normal winters (23.1%).

Finally, there were 24 warmer than normal Novembers since 1878- 45.5 degrees or higher. Only 6, or 25%, were followed by cold winters. An additional 9 (37.5%) were normal, while the last 9 (37.5%) were warmer than normal.

To reiterate, here are the ranked percentages of cold winters by the preceding October or November.
1. Cold Octobers: 57.4%
2. Cold Novembers: 47.5%
3. Normal Octobers: 46.7%
4. Normal Novembers: 46.2%
5. Warm Octobers: 36.7%
6. Warm Novembers: 25.0%

It should be no surprise that cold Octobers and Novembers have a stronger correlation to the following winters also being colder, with colder winters becoming increasingly unlikely as those months warm. What is surprising is that October weather, across the board, was more predictive of cold winters than Novembers were.

Going further, though, what about bi-monthly combinations?

Rank of Bi-Monthly Combinations and the percentage of colder than normal following winters, along with total years in sample:
Normal October/Normal November: 87.5% 8 Years
Cold October/Warm November: 57.1% 7 Years
Cold October/Cold November: 53.8% 26 Years
Normal October/Cold November: 48.1% 27 Years
Warm October/Cold November: 40.7% 27 Years
Cold October/Normal November: 38.5% 13 Years
Warm October/Warm November: 28.6% 7 Years
Warm October/Normal November: 25.0% 16 Years
Normal October/Warm November: 0.0% 8 Years

So a normal fall is clearly the best, but the sample size is not particularly high. Normal to Warm is unanimously warm, but again, it has a small sample size.

So does fall weather ultimately have a correlation to winter severity? To some degree yes, as patterns established in the fall tend to appear in the winter as well, but October, rather than November, has a clear higher correlation. But as with everything, there are many other factors involved.

October 2020 looks to at least begin with below normal temperatures, but it remains to be seen how it ends up.

To see records for Columbus falls and winters going back to 1878, visit the following links.
Autumn Weather Records
Winter Season Records

And to see current local weather and forecasts, visit: Wilmington National Weather Service



Winter 2019-2020 Review

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Winter 2019-2020 Review Columbus, Ohio

The Winter 2019-2020 Review has arrived! Aside some a few instances, winter was largely absent in Ohio for the 2019-2020 season. The season was bookended by periods of cold while the heart of winter was one of the warmest on record. Along with the warmth, precipitation was high throughout the season, but that didn’t translate into much snow.

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: 43.5 11th Warmest
Average Low: 28.3 9th Warmest
Mean: 35.9 10th Warmest
Precipitation: 9.69″ 29th Wettest
Snowfall: 8.3″ 16th Least Snowiest
Average Daily Snow Depth: 0.1″ 2nd Lowest
Largest Snowstorm: 2.2″ December 15th-16th
32 or Below Highs: 12 6th Fewest
32 or Below Lows: 65 13th Fewest
Measurable Precipitation Days: 34 10th Fewest
Measurable Snowfall Days: 13 9th Fewest
Deepest Snow Depth: 2″ on February 9th
Days with 1″+ Snow Depth: 5 3rd Fewest

Entire Cold Season- October-April
Average High: 51.9 10th Warmest
Average Low: 34.1 17th Warmest
Mean: 43.0 11th Warmest
Precipitation: 27.60″ 6th Wettest
Snowfall: 11.7″ 18th Least Snowiest
Average Snow Depth: 0.1″ 2nd Lowest
Largest Snowstorm: 2.8″ November 11th-12th
32 or Below Highs: 14 4th Fewest
32 or Below Lows: 98 17th Fewest
Measurable Precipitation Days: 87 18th Most
Measurable Snowfall Days: 16 7th Fewest
Deepest Snow Depth: 2″ on February 9th
Days with 1″+ Snow Depth: 8 5th Fewest

Average High By Month
October 2019: 69.8 13th Warmest
November 2019: 47.3 21st Coldest
December 2019: 45.9 12th Warmest
January 2020: 43.3 16th Warmest
February 2020: 41.2 35th Warmest
March 2020: 55.4 18th Warmest
April 2020: 59.6 21st Coldest

Average Low By Month
October 2019: 47.0 26th Warmest
November 2019: 30.3 9th Coldest
December 2019: 28.8 28th Warmest
January 2020: 30.1 8th Warmest
February 2020: 25.9 35th Warmest
March 2020: 37.6 13th Warmest
April 2020: 38.7 16th Coldest

Mean By Month
October 2019: 58.4 18th Warmest
November 2019: 38.8 12th Coldest
December 2019: 37.4 18th Warmest
January 2020: 36.7 13th Warmest
February 2020: 33.6 38th Warmest
March 2020: 46.5 13th Warmest
April 2020: 49.2 23rd Coldest

The 2019-2020 winter months were full of extremes, and most months ended up in either the top 20 coldest or warmest ever recorded.



Precipitation By Month
October 2019: 4.05″ 19th Wettest
November 2019: 1.48″ 24th Driest
December 2019: 2.76″ 62nd Wettest
January 2020: 4.37″ 25th Wettest
February 2020: 2.56″ 54th Wettest
March 2020: 8.16″ 2nd Wettest
April 2020: 4.22″ 32nd Wettest

Snowfall By Month
October 2019: Trace 2nd Least Snowiest
November 2019: 2.8″ 22nd Snowiest
December 2019: 2.3″ 23rd Least Snowiest
January 2020: 0.3″ 3rd Least Snowiest
February 2020: 5.7″ 47th Snowiest
March 2020: 0.6″ 5th Least Snowiest
April 2020: Trace 2nd Least Snowiest

As with temperature, precipitation and snowfall varied wildly as well, but generally most months were wetter than normal and less snowy than normal.

Average Snow Depth By Month
October 2019: 0.0″
November 2019: 0.2″
December 2019: 0.1″
January 2020: Trace
February 2020: 0.2″
March 2020: Trace
April 2020: 0.0″

Maximum High By Month
October: 94 on the 1st and 2nd
November: 59 on the 27th
December: 62 on the 27th
January: 71 on the 11th
February: 63 on the 3rd
March: 76 on the 28th
April: 77 on the 7th

Maximum High Records
-The 94 on October 1st was a record for the date, beating the old record of 89 set in 1952. This is also the warmest October temperature ever recorded, beating the old October record of 91 set in 2007.
-The 94 on October 2nd was a record for the date, beating the old record of 88 set in 1919. This also ties for the warmest October temperature ever, set on October 1st, 2019, the previous day.
-The 93 on October 3rd was a record for the date, beating the old record of 89 set in 1898 and 1953.
-The 71 on January 11th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 66 set in 1886 and 1890.
-The 63 on February 3rd tied the old record set in 1890.

Minimum High By Month
October: 55 on the 12th
November: 28 on the 12th and 13th
December: 29 on the 18th
January: 28 on the 20th
February: 24 on the 14th
March: 38 on the 21st
April: 45 on the 10th

Minimum High Records
-The 28 on the 12th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 30 set in 1920.

Maximum Low By Month
October: 68 on the 2nd
November: 39 on the 21st and 27th
December: 47 on the 9th and 29th
January: 53 on the 11th
February: 39 on the 25th
March: 55 on the 29th
April: 53 on the 8th

Maximum Low Records
-The 45 on January 10th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 43 set in 1960.

Minimum Low By Month
October: 35 on the 31st
November: 11 on the 13th
December: 13 on the 19th
January: 12 on the 20th
February: 13 on the 15th and 21st
March: 19 on the 1st
April: 26 on the 16th

Minimum Low Records
-The 15 on November 12th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 16 set in 1911.
-The 11 on November 13th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 14 set in 1911.

Highest Daily Precipitation By Month
October: 1.51″ on the 31st
November: 0.33″ on the 27th
December: 1.20″ on the 29th
January: 1.13″ on the 18th
February: 0.57″ on the 12th
March: 2.89″ on the 20th
April: 0.66″ on the 7th

Precipitation Records
-The 1.51″ on October 31st was a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.44″ set in 1932.
-The 1.20″ on December 29th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.13″ set in 1915.
-The 1.13″ on January 18th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 0.79″ set in 1927.
-The 1.31″ on March 4th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 0.74″ set in 1951.
-The 2.89″ that fell on March 20th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.60″ set in 1984.

Highest Daily Snowfall By Month
October: Trace on the 31st
November: 2.1″ on the 12th
December: 1.5″ on the 15th
January: 0.2″ on the 25th
February: 1.8″ on the 8th
March: 0.6″ on the 14th
April: Trace on the 15th and 17th

Snowfall Records
-The 2.1″ on November 11th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 0.5″ set in 1983.

Deepest Snow Depth By Month
October: 0″
November: 3″ on the 12th
December: 2″ on the 16th
January: Trace on the 19th and 20th
February: 2″ on the 29th
March: Trace on the 15th
April: 0″

For more winter records and local weather information, visit the following links.
Winter Season Records
Wilmington National Weather Service

Other Recent Winter Season Reviews
Winter 2018-2019
Winter 2017-2018
Winter 2016-2017