Heavy Snow in Ohio, January 2 to 3, 1996

Name: Heavy Snow in Ohio, January 2 to 3, 1996
Start: 1996-01-02T09:00
End: 1996-01-03T13:00
Location: Ohio

January 2 to 3, 1996 · NWS CLE · 15 events in 15 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 15 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $3.4 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 15

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS CLE wrote it up.

Snow became heavy at times and heavy snow fell during the overnight hours into the morning of the 3rd. Snow accumulated an average of 8 to 14 inches and northeast winds of 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph produced significant blowing and drifting snow with localized blizzard conditions. A number of counties declared snow emergencies to restrict travel and a number of roads were closed by snow and blocked by abandoned vehicles. Emergency shelters were opened in several towns to provide food and shelter for stranded travelers. Roof collapses began as the snow piled up and continued for days after the storm. An elementary school in Cleveland (Cuyahoga) collapsed but school was not in session. The building may have been damaged beyond repair. No direct injuries or fatalities were reported but a number of injuries and several fatalities were reported from automobile accidents and at least three people (men) died in the Cleveland area from heart attacks while shoveling snow.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

15 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Cuyahoga

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Cuyahoga forecast zone
Property damage: $1.0 million
Coordinates: 41.479, -81.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Lake

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Lake forecast zone
Property damage: $300,000
Coordinates: 41.714, -81.245 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Geauga

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Geauga forecast zone
Property damage: $90,000
Coordinates: 41.500, -81.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ashtabula

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Ashtabula forecast zone
Property damage: $80,000
Coordinates: 41.896, -80.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Medina

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Medina forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Coordinates: 41.118, -81.900 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Summit

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Summit forecast zone
Property damage: $500,000
Coordinates: 41.126, -81.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Portage

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Portage forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 41.168, -81.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Trumbull

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Trumbull forecast zone
Property damage: $80,000
Coordinates: 41.317, -80.761 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ashland

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Ashland forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Coordinates: 40.846, -82.271 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Wayne

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Wayne forecast zone
Property damage: $60,000
Coordinates: 40.829, -81.888 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Stark

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Stark forecast zone
Property damage: $80,000
Coordinates: 40.814, -81.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Mahoning

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Mahoning forecast zone
Property damage: $300,000
Coordinates: 41.015, -80.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Morrow

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Morrow forecast zone
Property damage: $60,000
Coordinates: 40.524, -82.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Holmes

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Holmes forecast zone
Property damage: $70,000
Coordinates: 40.561, -81.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Knox

When: January 2, 9:00 AM EST to January 3, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Knox forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 40.399, -82.421 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Ohio in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Ohio, January 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5537385, 5537386, 5537387, 5537388, 5537389, 5537390, 5537391, 5537392, 5537393, 5537394, 5537395, 5537396, 5537397, 5537398, 5537399.