Heavy Snow in Ohio, January 2 to 3, 1999

Synoptic and mesoscale conditions on the 1st of January 1999...The northern hemishperic longwave pattern began the year in transition as a high zonal index hinted at major changes to the longwave pattern over the New Year's Day weekend. Two potent shortwaves...one associated with the northern branch of the jet stream and the other associated with the southern branch...were progged to phase over the central plains on the 2nd of January. Lee troughing developed during the day on the 1st with the eventual surface low developing across the Texas panhandle that afternoon. Tremendous moisture was advected off the gulf of mexico during the afternoon as the low deepened. Moderate to heavy snow began to break out across the county warning area by late evening. On the 2nd of January...intense low pressure was located across northeast Arkansas and slowly moved northeastward into northwest Indiana by late evening. Snowfall rates of 1 to 2 inches per hour were common throughout the day with even heavier snow noted as the system wrapped up and closed off over northern Illinois that evening. Nearly all the snowfall across the county warning area was due to the tremendous warm advection that occurred on the nose of a 60 knot low level jet overtop the shallow cold dome that was in place. Precipitation in areas along and east of a Lafayette Indiana to Defiance Ohio line eventually changed to freezing rain and sleet as 850 millibar temperatures warmed to above freezing. Snowfall amounts were the highest observed since the Blizzard of 1978 in many areas. Several cooperative observer stations reported all-time record 24 hour snowfalls as well. Storm totals ranged from two feet across northwest Indiana and southwest lower Michigan...12 to 18 inches across north central Indiana into south central Michigan and northwest Ohio... 6 to 8 inches across east central Indiana into western Ohio, where significant sleet and freezing rain later fell on top of the heavy snow.Impacts on the people across the area were significant. Many rural roads remained impassable for several days. Some schools were closed for up to two weeks after the snowstorm. Many buildings... especially manufacturing warehouses and large retail stores in areas that received the heavier snow... reported collapsed roofs due to the weight of the snow. Damage estimates were not known at the time of this report.