Tag Archives: Weather records

Winter 2022-2023 Review

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Winter 2022-2023 Review

A scene largely absent from the 2022-2023 winter.

The Winter 2022-2023 Review shows that the season was one of the warmest ever recorded for Columbus, with near consistent above average- and sometimes record-breaking temperatures. Snow, as a consequence, was well below average.

The rankings below are good through the 2022-2023 season.

December-February Only
Average High: 45.8 4th Warmest
Average Low: 29.4 7th Warmest
Mean: 37.6 5th Warmest
Precipitation: 7.80″ 62nd Wettest
Snowfall: 11.2″ 30th Least Snowy
Average Daily Snow Depth: 0.3″ Tied for 4th Lowest
Largest Snowstorm: 4.9″ on 12/23/2022
# of 32 or Below Highs: 10 5th Fewest
# of 32 or Below Lows: 51 Tied for 4th Fewest
# of Measurable Precipitation Days: 40 Tied for 13th Most
# of Measurable Snowfall Days: 10 Tied for 6th Fewest
Highest Average Daily Wind Speed in MPH: 23.3 on 12/23/2022
Highest Wind Gust in MPH: 54 on 1/19/2023
# of Clear Days: 6 6.67%
# of Partly Cloudy Days: 38 42.22%
# of Cloudy Days: 46 51.11%

Early winter ended up being the coldest and snowiest part of the season, with every subsequent month getting warmer. There were very few freezing days during the heart of the winter, and despite a somewhat stormy pattern with seemingly endless windy days, there was relatively little precipitation.

The biggest snowstorm was on December 23rd, when a very strong low pressure system and cold front brought heavy snow and very cold temperatures, making for one of the coldest Christmas Eves and Days in many years.

Entire Cold Season: October-April
Average High: 53.8 3rd Warmest
Average Low: 34.5 Tied for 14th Warmest
Mean: 44.1 Tied for 6th Warmest
Precipitation: 19.13″ 63rd Driest
Snowfall: 14.5″ Tied for 21st Least Snowy
Average Snow Depth: 0.1″ Tied for 2nd Lowest
Largest Snowstorm: 4.9″ on 12/23/2022
# of 32 or Below Highs: 11 Tied for 2nd Fewest
# of 32 or Below Lows: 83 6th Fewest
# of Measurable Precipitation Days: 79 Tied for 14th Fewest
# of Measurable Snowfall Days: 15 Tied for 6th Fewest
Highest Average Daily Wind Speed in MPH: 23.3 on 12/23/2022
Highest Wind Gust in MPH: 59 on 3/3/2023
# of Clear Days: 30 14.15%
# of Partly Cloudy Days: 95 44.81%
# of Cloudy Days: 87 41.04%

The entire cold season didn’t really live up to its name. All months except October ended up above normal. Now let’s break down those months individually.

Average High By Month
October 2022: 65.6 44th Warmest
November 2022: 54.6 Tied for 19th Warmest
December 2022: 41.8 Tied for 36th Warmest
January 2023: 43.8 13th Warmest
February 2023: 52.3 1st Warmest
March 2023: 52.6 33rd Warmest
April 2023: 65.7 20th Warmest

February, 2023 had the warmest average high mean on record, beating the next closest year- 2017- by 0.5 degrees.

Average Low By Month
October 2022: 42.7 Tied for 28th Coldest
November 2022: 36.0 29th Warmest
December 2022: 27.4 Tied for 40th Warmest
January 2023: 31.0 6th Warmest
February 2023: 30.0 10th Warmest
March 2023: 32.1 Tied for 45th Warmest
April 2023: 42.0 Tied for 35th Warmest

Mean By Month
October 2022: 54.1 Tied for 33rd Coldest
November 2022: 45.3 Tied for 18th Warmest
December 2022: 34.6 Tied for 37th Warmest
January 2023: 37.4 10th Warmest
February 2023: 41.1 3rd Warmest
March 2023: 42.4 Tied for 40th Warmest
April 2023: 53.9 Tied for 23rd Warmest

Precipitation By Month
October 2022: 0.60″ 11th Driest
November 2022: 2.34″ 58th Driest
December 2022: 2.02″ 39th Driest
January 2023: 4.16″ 28th Wettest
February 2023: 1.62″ Tied for 41st Driest
March 2023: 5.22″ 17th Wettest
April 2023: 3.17″ Tied for 64th Wettest

Snowfall By Month
October 2022: Trace Tied for 2nd Least Snowy
November 2022: 0.3″ Tied for 5th Least Snowy
December 2022: 5.8″ 38th Snowiest
January 2023: 5.4″ Tied for 39th Least Snowy
February 2023: Trace 1st Least Snowy
March 2023: 1.0″ Tied for 10th Least Snowy
April 2023: Trace Tied for 2nd Least Snowy

February’s Trace was the lowest ever recorded for the month.

Average Snow Depth By Month
October 2022: 0.0″
November 2022: 0.0″
December 2022: 0.7″
January 2023: 0.1″
February 2023: 0.0″
March 2023: 0.0″
April 2023: 0.0″



Maximum High By Month
October 2022: 77 on the 6th, 23rd and 24th
November 2022: 77 on the 5th
December 2022: 65 on the 30th
January 2023: 62 on the 3rd
February 2023: 73 on the 23rd
March 2023: 75 on the 1st
April 2023: 84 on the 20th

Maximum High Records
-The 77 on November 5th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 76 set in 1977.
– The 65 on December 30th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 63 set in 1964.
-The 72 on February 9th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 66 set in 2001.
-The 72 on February 15th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 70 set in 1954.
-The 73 on February 23rd was a record for the date, beating the old record of 72 set in 2017.
-The 75 on March 1st was a record for the date, beating the old record of 65 set in 1972 and 1997.

Minimum High By Month
October 2022: 45 on the 18th
November 2022: 30 on the 20th
December 2022: 14 on the 24th
January 2023: 26 on the 31st
February 2023: 30 on the 1st
March 2023: 33 on the 14th
April 2023: 46 on the 2nd and 17th

Maximum Low By Month
October 2022: 57 on the 31st
November 2022: 62 on the 5th
December 2022: 54 on the 30th
January 2023: 56 on the 3rd
February 2023: 47 on the 15th
March 2023: 47 on the 23rd
April 2023: 60 on the 5th

Maximum Low Records
-The 62 on November 6th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 61 set in 1977.
-The 49 on January 2nd tied the record for the date, matching 1997, 2000 and 2005.
-The 56 on January 3rd was a record for the date, beating the old record of 55 set in 1997.

Minimum Low By Month
October 2022: 32 on the 20th
November 2022: 17 on the 20th
December 2022: -7 on the 23rd
January 2023: 16 on the 15th
February 2023: 12 on the 4th
March 2023: 18 on the 19th
April 2023: 29 on the 25th

Highest Daily Precipitation by Month
October 2022: 0.15″ on the 12th and 30th
November 2022: 1.14″ on the 11th
December 2022: 0.44″ on the 15th
January 2023: 0.73″ on the 12th
February 2023: 0.73″ on the 27th
March 2023: 1.6″ on the 3rd
April 2023: 0.91″ on the 5th

Precipitation Records
-The 1.14″ on November 11th set a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.03″ set in 1995.
-The 1.60″ on March 3rd set a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.31″ set in 2020.

Highest Daily Snowfall By Month
October 2022: Trace on the 18th
November 2022: 0.2″ on the 12th
December 2022: 4.9″ on the 23rd
January 2023: 3.0″ on the 22nd
February 2023: Trace on the 3rd and 17th
March 2023: 0.4″ on the 12th and 13th
April 2023: Trace on the 17th

Deepest Snow Depth By Month
October 2022: 0.0″
November 2022: Trace on the 13th
December 2022: 4″ on the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 27th
January 2023: 2″ on the 23rd
February 2023: Trace on the 1st
March 2023: 1″ on the 14th
April 2023: 0.0″

Average Daily Wind Speed by Month in MPH
October 2022: 7.9
November 2022: 8.2
December 2022: 8.0
January 2023: 8.4
February 2023: 9.7
March 2023: 10.0
April 2023: 8.1

Highest Wind Gust by Month in MPH
October 2022: 38 on the 26th
November 2022: 44 on the 27th and 30th
December 2022: 46 on the 23rd
January 2023: 54 on the 19th
February 2023: 49 on the 9th
March 2023: 59 on the 3rd
April 2023: 50 on the 1st

Clear Days by Month
October 2022: 8 25.81%
November 2022: 6 20.0%
December 2022: 2 6.45%
January 2023: 0 0.0%
February 2023: 4 14.29%
March 2023: 5 16.13%
April 2023: 5 16.67%

Partly Cloudy Days by Month
October 2022: 17 54.84%
November 2022: 13 43.33%
December 2022: 10 32.26%
January 2023: 13 41.94%
February 2023: 15 53.57%
March 2023: 15 48.39%
April 2023: 12 40.0%

Cloudy Days by Month
October 2022: 6 19.35%
November 2022: 11 36.67%
December 2022: 19 61.29%
January 2023: 18 58.06%
February 2023: 9 32.14%
March 2023: 11 35.48%
April 2023: 13 43.33%



Independence Day Climatology

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Independence Day climatology is available going back to 1878. Here’s a breakdown through 2021.

July 4th Normals 1878-2021
High: 84.4
Low: 64
Mean: 74
Precipitation: 0.12″

July 4th Normals 1991-2020
High: 85
Low: 65
Mean: 75
Precipitation: 0.15″


Top 10 Coldest July 4th Highs
1. 1882, 1922: 69
2. 1924, 1967, 1978, 2008: 71
3. 1909, 1927, 1972, 1979, 2016: 72
4. 1920: 73
5. 1937, 1989: 74
6. 1892, 1910, 1940, 1941, 1960, 1997, 2009: 76
7. 1917, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1976, 2013: 77
8. 1891, 1961, 2014: 78
9. 1889, 1933, 1996, 2001, 2015: 79
10. 1898, 1906, 1926, 1938, 1962, 1992; 80
Independence Day climatology average high

Top 10 Warmest July 4th Highs
1. 1911: 104
2. 1897: 102
3. 2012: 100
4. 1919: 97
5. 1900, 1921, 1949, 2002: 96
6. 1990, 1999: 95
7. 1903, 1948, 2020: 94
8. 1881, 1883, 1899, 1918, 1958, 1988, 2018: 93
9. 1913, 1993, 2003: 92
10. 1880, 1901, 1902, 1931, 1944, 1974, 2010: 91

Independence day climatology high temperature days of occurrence

Top 10 Coldest July 4th Lows
1. 1968: 47
2. 1963: 49
3. 1996: 50
4. 1986: 51
5. 1927, 1940: 52
6. 1960, 1961, 1965, 1972: 53
7. 1892, 1909, 1924, 1930, 1979: 54
8. 1895, 1907: 55
9. 1891, 1915, 1922, 1976, 1992: 56
10. 1953, 1964, 1967, 1988, 2014: 57
Independence day climatology average low

Top 10 Warmest July 4th Lows
1. 1911: 79
2. 1897, 1900, 1999: 75
3. 1879, 1921: 74
4. 1883, 1902, 2012, 2018: 73
5. 1899, 1919, 1991, 2002, 2004; 72
6. 1884, 1903, 1913, 1943, 1974, 2005, 2013: 71
7. 1888, 1896, 1901, 1980, 2003, 2011: 70
8. 1878, 1905, 1908, 1935, 1949, 1957, 1966, 1983, 1987, 2000, 2006: 69
9. 1881, 1887, 1894, 1936, 1954, 1973, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2020: 68
10. 1912, 1928, 1934, 1939, 1952, 1956, 1969, 1975, 1998, 2017: 67

Independence day climatology low temperature by occurrence

Top 10 Coldest July 4th Means
1. 1927, 1968: 62.0
2. 1922, 1924, 1972: 62.5
3. 1909, 1979: 63.0
4. 1882: 63.5
5. 1940, 1967: 64.0
6. 1960, 1996: 64.5
7. 1892, 1963: 65.0
8. 1961: 65.5
9. 1920: 66.0
10. 1976, 1986, 2008: 66.5
Independence day climatology average mean

Top 10 Warmest July 4th Means
1. 1911: 91.5
2. 1897: 88.5
3. 2012: 86.5
4. 1900: 85.5
5. 1921, 1999: 85.0
6. 1919: 84.5
7. 2002: 84.0
8. 1883, 2018: 83.0
9. 1899, 1903, 1949: 82.5
10. 1902: 82.0

Top 10 Wettest July 4ths
1. 1984: 1.38″
2. 1935: 1.04″
3. 1915: 0.86″
4. 1932: 0.84″
5. 1957: 0.66″
6. 2008: 0.61″
7. 1939: 0.60″
8. 2003: 0.59″
9. 1926: 0.58″
10. 2006: 0.56″
Independence day climatology average precipitation

Independence day climatology precipitation occurrence

The July Weather Records provides additional detailed information on the rest of the month.




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.




Columbus Drowning in Rain

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Columbus drowning in rain

If it seems like the last few years have been particularly wet, you’d be right. Columbus, other Ohio cities and many areas in the Midwest have been seeing record rainfall of late. Yesterday alone, June 19th, Columbus had a daily record 2.65″ of rain, flooding many streets across Franklin County, including I-71 in at least 2 places. Is it indicative of a fluke pattern or a local result of climate change? Let’s look at the numbers and trends more closely.

First of all, let’s look at the 20 wettest years on record through June 19th.
1. 1882: 32.50″
2. 1890: 30.12″
3. 2019: 27.08″
4. 1964: 25.78″
5. 2011: 25.68″
6. 1893: 25.50″
7. 2004: 25.49″
8. 1996: 24.94″
9. 1949: 24.52″
10. 1945: 24.49″
11. 1913: 24.45″
12. 1883: 24.18″
13. 2018: 23.98″
14. 2008: 23.62″
15. 1950: 23.60″
16. 1990: 23.56″
17. 1981: 23.49″
18. 1898: 22.94″
19. 1927: 22.92″
20. 1937: 22.69″

So far, 2019 has had the 3rd highest rain total to date since 1879.

Here are the top 20 wettest full years.
1. 2018: 55.18″
2. 2011: 54.96″
3. 1990: 53.16″
4. 1882: 51.30″
5. 1890: 50.73″
6. 2004: 49.27″
7. 2003: 49.03″
8. 1883: 48.88″
9. 1881: 46.99″
10. 2017: 46.61″
11. 1973: 46.25″
12. 1948: 45.69″
13. 1972: 45.60″
14. 1996: 45.56″
15. 2008: 45.44″
16. 1995: 45.30″
17. 2015: 45.00″
18. 1950: 44.96″
19. 1880: 44.68″
20. 1949: 44.47″

4 years this decade have been among the top 20 wettest years since 1879. Only the 1880’s can match that record, though both the 2000s and 2010s have been wetter, as shown below.


The chart shows that the 2000s were the wettest decade on record, with the 2010s looking to surpass even that total with more than 6 months left to go in 2019. Furthermore, the trend line is clearly up, meaning that Columbus has been getting gradually wetter over the last 140 years, indicating that something else is going on rather than just a random wet period.
Columbus isn’t the only place in the Midwest seeing high levels of rain. There has been widespread, damaging flooding going on across many states, especially this year. Check out some of the articles on this below:
Cincinnati: https://www.journal-news.com/news/local/butler-county-struggling-with-near-record-rainfall-this-unbelievable/270FdqJqMzImu7YSBtYTHM/
Lake Michigan: https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/topstories/lake-michigan-water-levels-on-pace-to-reach-record-high-in-june-skirt-records-into-fall/ar-AAD1BWz
Iowa: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/06/14/iowa-climate-change-agriculture-flood-rain-farming-environment-weather-precipitation-temperature/1433128001/
Pennsylvania: https://www.pennlive.com/news/2019/06/for-pa-farmers-year-of-record-rain-often-a-big-nuisance.html
West Virginia: https://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/huntington-charleston-on-pace-to-break-annual-rainfall-average/article_1fd2b7a8-db64-5074-b017-ab700ff243ec.html
Midwest Farming: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-06-14/it-s-not-just-corn-u-s-farmers-may-forgo-near-record-soy-acres?srnd=premium
Mississippi River: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/mississippi-floodings-impact-freight-economy-142712910.html

Ironically, few individual months in recent years have featured record precipitation. In the last 10 years, only 1 month- July 2017- appears in the top 25 wettest months. It’s just been more of a constant wet pattern, where most months now have above to well-above normal precipitation.
While climate change can’t account for individual events or specific record rainfalls, the patterns are obvious enough to show that the climate in Columbus and in many other parts of the country is changing over time. This means that we should come to expect more of this in the years to come.

Google Map Links

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Columbus Development Maps

2010-2013 Development
2014-2019 Development
2020-2025 Development
All these pages are basically just map versions of the development pages. However, the maps are organized by year and include before and after photos of the development sites.

Columbus Fantasy Transit Map

2019 Transit Map
The transit map for the Columbus Metro Area is just one example of many existing fantasy maps for Central Ohio. This one includes routes for light rail, BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) and interurban rail to neighboring counties.

The Redevelopment of Westland Mall
Mall Site
Westland Mall and the larger surrounding area is in desperate need of a revamp. Recently, a proposal to make the site into a “Weston” development in the potential style of Easton has emerged. I made this map several years ago as a basic blueprint for how the entire area could be rebuilt into a much more urban, walkable, vibrant corridor.

Ohio Severe Weather Report Maps by Decade

1950-1959 Severe Reports
1960-1960 Severe Reports
1970-1979 Severe Reports
2010-2019 Severe Reports
The 1950s and 1960s maps are the only ones completed so far.

Columbus Area Bike Lanes, Multi-use Paths and Sidewalk Infrastructure

Bike Infrastructure
This map attempts to include all the existing bike and multi-use infrastructure in the area, along with general pedestrian infrastructure. The map will is not fully updated yet through 2019.

Downtown Columbus Parking Infrastructure

Parking Lots and Garages
This map, last updated in 2015, documents all existing parking garages and surfaces lots throughout Downtown.