Winter Weather, Erie
- When
- January 16, 10:00 AM EST to January 17, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Erie forecast zone
- Property damage
- $15,000
- Coordinates
- 41.432, -82.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather in Ohio, January 16 to 17, 1997
A burst of heavy snow, although accumulating only one to three inches, caused whiteout conditions in many locations, resulting in numerous vehicular accidents. In Akron (Summit County), there were dozens of car crashes and one person was injured in a nine car pile-up.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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
- 1
- Property damage
- $25,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 8
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.
A burst of heavy snow, although accumulating only one to three inches, caused whiteout conditions in many locations, resulting in numerous vehicular accidents. In Akron (Summit County), there were dozens of car crashes and one person was injured in a nine car pile-up. In Marion County, an ODOT truck was overturned and, in Erie County, whiteout conditions caused a 16 vehicle crash on State Route 2.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
8 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Weather, Medina
- When
- January 16, 10:00 AM EST to January 17, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Medina forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.118, -81.900 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Summit
- When
- January 16, 10:00 AM EST to January 17, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Summit forecast zone
- Injuries
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Coordinates
- 41.126, -81.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Portage
- When
- January 16, 10:00 AM EST to January 17, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Portage forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.168, -81.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Trumbull
- When
- January 16, 10:00 AM EST to January 17, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Trumbull forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 41.317, -80.761 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Wayne
- When
- January 16, 10:00 AM EST to January 17, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Wayne forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.829, -81.888 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Stark
- When
- January 16, 10:00 AM EST to January 17, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Stark forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.814, -81.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Weather, Marion
- When
- January 16, 10:00 AM EST to January 17, 1:00 PM EST
- Where
- Marion forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 40.587, -83.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Weather
- Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Ice Storm in Washington, January 16 to 17, 1997
- Strong Wind in New York, January 16, 1997
- Cold in West Virginia, January 16 to 20, 1997
- Damaging Wind in North Carolina, January 16, 1997
- Heavy Snow in New York, January 16 to 18, 1997
- Tornado in Florida, January 16, 1997
- Winter Weather in Vermont, January 16, 1997
- Cold in Ohio, January 16 to 20, 1997
- Heavy Snow in New York, January 16 to 19, 1997
- Cold in Wisconsin, January 16, 1997
- Blizzard in Wisconsin, January 16, 1997
- Cold in Nebraska, January 16, 1997
More
Every storm in Ohio in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, January 1997
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: 5588970, 5588971, 5588972, 5588973, 5588974, 5588975, 5588976, 5588977.