Winter Storm in Ohio, March 26, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Ohio, March 26, 2002
Start: 2002-03-26T01:15
End: 2002-03-26T08:00
Location: Ohio

March 26, 2002 · NWS ILN · 14 events in 14 counties and zones

A warm front bisected the state of Ohio along and just south of the I-70 corridor. A low pressure system moved along the boundary, bringing widespread rain and freezing rain.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 14 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: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 14

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.

A warm front bisected the state of Ohio along and just south of the I-70 corridor. A low pressure system moved along the boundary, bringing widespread rain and freezing rain. Numerous areas received a half inch of ice which brought down trees and powerlines, and caused several accidents due to slippery roads.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 25, 7:50 PM EST, 5 hours 25 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 25, 7:50 PM EST, 5 hours 25 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
750 PM EST MON MAR 25 2002

00Z ILN UA RUN GIVES CLASSIC FZRA SOUNDING...AND STATION TEMP
HOVERING BTWN 30 AND 31. CALLS MADE TO HIGHLAND AND FAYETTE COUNTIES
ALSO REVEAL LOWER SFC TEMPS HOVERING NEAR 30 OR 31. WITH THIS NEW
INFO...WL EXPAND WSW WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY INTO THESE 3 COUNTIES.
SEE NO REASON TO HAVE GREENE COUNTY OH AND EAST CNTRL INDIANA NOT
INCLUDED IN WINTER STORM WARNING FOR DAY GROUPING AS EDGE OF HEAVIER
PCP IS PROGGED TO CLIP THIS AREA ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE DAY
GROUP TNGT AND EARLY TUE.

THINKING IS THAT THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS ABOUT AS FAR SOUTH AS IT IS
GOING TO SINK...SO WL NOT EXPAND ADVIS ANY FURTHER S...ONLY A LTL
FURTHER EAST.

KEEPING FLOOD WATCH AS IS.

MISILN AND UPDATED WSW OUT SHORTLY.

.ILN...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR ICE ACCUMULATIONS 1/4 OR MORE LATE
   TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING INZ050-060-061...
   OHZ026-034-035-042>046-050>053-060-061.
 WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR <1/4 ICE ACCUMULATION LATE TONIGHT
  THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING INZ066...OHZ054>056-063-070>072-080.
 FLOOD WATCH LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON KYZ089>100...
  INZ066-073>075-080.....OHZ070>072-077>082-088.

DIAN-REED

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

14 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Shelby

When: March 26, 1:15 AM EST
Where: Shelby forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.332, -84.205 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Preble

When: March 26, 2:25 AM EST
Where: Preble forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.742, -84.648 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Mercer

When: March 26, 2:45 AM EST
Where: Mercer forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.540, -84.629 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Auglaize

When: March 26, 2:46 AM EST
Where: Auglaize forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.561, -84.222 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Logan

When: March 26, 2:46 AM EST
Where: Logan forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.388, -83.766 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Hardin

When: March 26, 2:49 AM EST
Where: Hardin forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.662, -83.659 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Montgomery

When: March 26, 2:56 AM EST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.755, -84.291 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Miami

When: March 26, 2:59 AM EST
Where: Miami forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.053, -84.229 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Union

When: March 26, 3:19 AM EST
Where: Union forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.299, -83.372 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Darke

When: March 26, 7:00 AM EST
Where: Darke forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.133, -84.619 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Greene

When: March 26, 7:00 AM EST
Where: Greene forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.692, -83.890 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Champaign

When: March 26, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Champaign forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.138, -83.769 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Clark

When: March 26, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Clark forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 39.917, -83.784 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Storm, Delaware

When: March 26, 8:00 AM EST
Where: Delaware forecast zone
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 40.278, -83.005 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Ohio in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Ohio, March 2002

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: 5286966, 5286968, 5286963, 5286866, 5286873, 5286872, 5286965, 5286964, 5286967, 5286869, 5286871, 5286867, 5286868, 5286870.