Ohio, 2002

Extreme Cold in Ohio, May 20, 2002

May 20, 2002 · NWS CLE · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Record cold morning lows in the upper 20s severely damaged the grape crop in Lake and northern Ashtabula counties. Around 60 percent of the chardonnay grape crop was destroyed by the late season freeze.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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
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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
$3.5 million
Events
2

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.

Record cold morning lows in the upper 20s severely damaged the grape crop in Lake and northern Ashtabula counties. Around 60 percent of the chardonnay grape crop was destroyed by the late season freeze. Early estimates indicate that up to 90 percent of concord grape crop was also damaged. Actual losses will not be known until after the growing season concludes.

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 Cleveland, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 20, 1:50 AM EST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 20, 1:50 AM EST, 2 hours 10 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
250 AM EDT MON MAY 20 2002

IN SHORT TERM CD UPR LVL ELONGATED LOW FINALLY STARTS TO LIFT OUT ON
DAY 2 WITH ITS TROF AXIS MOVG SE AREA TNGT. PROB FOR TDA IS WHETHER
TO INCLUDE SHWRS AGAIN. CURRENT FCST HAS THEM IN ALL BUT FAR W BUT
WL CHNG TO ADD THEM TO THAT AREA TOO. WE STILL HAVE FAIRLY STEEP
LOW LVL LAPSE RATE THOUGH NOT AS MUCH MSTR AVBL AS YDA. BUT THREAT
IS GREAT ENUF TO INCLUDE LOW CHC EVERYWHERE. SOME SHWRS
PERSISTING ERY THIS MRNG AND THIS MAY BE PROB AGAIN TNGT AS ONE LAST
VORT LOBE ROTATES ACRS AREA. HOWEVER LACK OF MSTR AND SUBSIDENCE
SHUD WORK AGAINST THEM. FWC AND MAV TEMPS FAIRLY CLOSE AND LOOK
RSBL...THOUGH TOL AND FDY TOO WARM TMRW ON MAV. MORE FROST ADV OR
FRZ WRNGS WL LKLY BE NEEDED AGAIN TNGT.

.CLE...
OH...NONE
PA...NONE

WCR

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Ashtabula

When
May 20, 4:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Ashtabula forecast zone
Crop damage
$2.0 million
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
41.896, -80.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lake

When
May 20, 4:00 AM EST to 7:00 AM EST
Where
Lake forecast zone
Crop damage
$1.5 million
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates
41.714, -81.245 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Ohio in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, May 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: 5296500, 5296501.