Ice Storm, Putnam
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Putnam forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.022, -84.132 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm in Ohio, March 6 to 7, 1996
North winds behind a cold front sagging across the region caused a shallow layer of below freezing air to penetrate deep into the Ohio Valley. Precipitation falling over the region changed from rain and drizzle to freezing rain and freezing drizzle, and then eventually to sleet and snow from north to south.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 36 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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 36
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 ILN wrote it up.
North winds behind a cold front sagging across the region caused a shallow layer of below freezing air to penetrate deep into the Ohio Valley. Precipitation falling over the region changed from rain and drizzle to freezing rain and freezing drizzle, and then eventually to sleet and snow from north to south. Total snow accumulations were light, ranging from less than an inch in Western Ohio to up to 3 inches in South Central and Central Ohio. The roadways became coated with a layer of ice, and then light snow fell on the ice making it difficult for drivers to see the ice in many locations. Numerous accidents occurred over a large area. An eight car and truck pileup occurred on a bridge in Warren county, closing the bridge for a few hours.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
36 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Ice Storm, Paulding
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Paulding forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.117, -84.580 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Van Wert
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Van Wert forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.855, -84.586 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Allen
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Allen forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.772, -84.106 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Hardin
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hardin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.662, -83.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Mercer
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Mercer forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.540, -84.629 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Auglaize
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Auglaize forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.561, -84.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Darke
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Darke forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.133, -84.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Shelby
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Shelby forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.332, -84.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Logan
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Logan forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.388, -83.766 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Union
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Union forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.299, -83.372 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Delaware
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Delaware forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.278, -83.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Miami
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Miami forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.053, -84.229 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Champaign
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Champaign forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.138, -83.769 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Clark
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Clark forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.917, -83.784 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Madison
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Madison forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.894, -83.400 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Franklin
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.970, -83.009 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Licking
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Licking forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.092, -82.483 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Preble
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Preble forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.742, -84.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Montgomery
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Montgomery forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.755, -84.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Greene
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Greene forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.692, -83.890 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Fayette
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Fayette forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.560, -83.456 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Pickaway
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Pickaway forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.642, -83.024 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Fairfield
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Fairfield forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.752, -82.631 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Butler
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Butler forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.439, -84.576 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Warren
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Warren forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.428, -84.167 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Clinton
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Clinton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.415, -83.808 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Ross
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Ross forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.338, -83.057 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Hocking
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hocking forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.497, -82.479 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Hamilton
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hamilton forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.196, -84.543 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Clermont
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Clermont forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.047, -84.152 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Brown
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Brown forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.934, -83.867 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Highland
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Highland forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.185, -83.601 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Adams
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Adams forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.846, -83.472 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Pike
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Pike forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 39.077, -83.067 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Ice Storm, Scioto
- When
- March 6, 1:00 AM EST to March 7, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Scioto forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 38.804, -82.993 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Ice Storm
- Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornado in Alabama, March 6, 1996
- Tornado in Alabama, March 6, 1996
- Heavy Snow in New York, March 6 to 7, 1996
- Tornado in Georgia, March 6, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, March 6, 1996
- Tornado in Alabama, March 6, 1996
- Tornado in Alabama, March 6, 1996
- Tornado in Alabama, March 6, 1996
- Tornado in Florida, March 6, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Alabama, March 6, 1996
- Tornado in Georgia, March 6, 1996
- Tornado in Georgia, March 6, 1996
More
Every storm in Ohio in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, March 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: 5548943, 5548944, 5548945, 5548946, 5548947, 5548948, 5548949, 5548950, 5548951, 5548952, 5548953, 5548954, 5548955, 5548956, 5548957, 5548958, 5548959, 5548960, 5548961, 5548962, 5548963, 5548964, 5548965, 5548966, 5548967, 5548968, 5548969, 5548970, 5548971, 5548972, 5548973, 5548974, 5548975, 5548976, 5548977, 5548978.