A strong low pressure system moved across the Upper Ohio Valley bringing heavy rain to the region on February 28th. Runoff form this rain combined with snow melt casued flooding of streams and creeks to continue into March 3rd.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS PBZ wrote it up.
A strong low pressure system moved across the Upper Ohio Valley bringing heavy rain to the region on February 28th. Runoff form this rain combined with snow melt casued flooding of streams and creeks to continue into March 3rd.
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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 28, 8:24 PM EST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 824 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011 .SYNOPSIS... CLOUD COVER WILL DECREASE OVERNIGHT AS DRIER AIR MOVES IN. HIGH PRESSURE WILL PROVIDE FOR DRY AND SEASONABLY COOL CONDITIONS FOR TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/... PRECIP HAS ENDED AND CLOUDS ARE QUICKLY DISSIPATING FROM THE NORTH AS MUCH DRIER AND COLDER AIR MOVES SOUTHWARD. LOW AND MID LEVEL FLOW IS OUT OF THE NORTH, SO EXPECT THE CLEARING LINE TO PUSH THROUGH THE ENTIRE AREA BY MIDNIGHT. THERE WILL BE SOME SCT CU FROM TIME TO TIME. LOWERED OVERNIGHT TEMPS A DEGREE OR TWO, AS SKIES ARE CLEARING FASTER THAN PREVIOUSLY FORECASTED. SFC WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN OVERNIGHT. && .SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/... DRY AND SEASONABLY COOL CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL FOR TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY UNDER ZONAL FLOW ALOFT. PRECIP ASSOCIATED WITH A WEAK SHORTWAVE CROSSING THE GREAT LAKES WEDNESDAY WILL REMAIN TO THE NORTH...WITH SOME ADDITIONAL CLOUDS NORTH OF PITTSBURGH. && .LONG TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/... SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS FORECAST TO SLIDE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES INTO NEW ENGLAND BY FRIDAY BRINGING DRY WEATHER. A SLOW MOVING SYSTEM WILL APPROACH FROM THE MS VALLEY BY LATE FRIDAY SPREADING MOISTURE AND PRECIPITATION INTO THE REGION FOR THE WEEKEND. INITIAL SURFACE LOW IS PROGGED TO PUSH INTO THE EASTERN GREAT LAKES EARLY SATURDAY...WITH A SECOND WAVE RIDING ALONG THE FRONT INTO THE UPPER OH VALLEY LATE IN THE WEEKEND. RAIN SHOWERS SHOULD MIX WITH SNOW BEFORE ENDING LATE SUNDAY NIGHT AS COLDER AIR MOVES IN BEHIND THE SYSTEM. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO BE 5 AND 10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL THROUGH THE WEEKEND...COOLING TO NEAR NORMAL MONDAY. && .AVIATION /01Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... SURFACE WAVE ALONG FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL CONTINUE TO PUSH EASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHWEST PA/NORTHERN WV DURING THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON...TAKING ANY LINGERING PRECIPITATION WITH IT. MVFR CEILINGS WITH AREAS OF IFR ARE FORECAST TO PERSIST ACROSS THE TERMINALS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT THROUGH EARLY TONIGHT...WITH LOW CEILINGS EXPECTED TO BECOME SCATTERED MAINLY AFTER 06Z TONIGHT. SURFACE RIDGE WILL BUILD IN LATE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY BRINGING DRIER AIR AND GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS. A WEAK SHORTWAVE WILL CROSS THE GREAT LAKES WEDNESDAY WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR MVFR RESTRICTIONS ACROSS NORTHERN TERMINALS. HIGH PRESSURE SLIDING FROM THE GREAT LAKES INTO NEW ENGLAND THURSDAY AND FRIDAY SHOULD MAINTAIN VFR WEATHER. SLOW MOVING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE MS VALLEY IS EXPECTED TO BRING PRECIPITATION AND THE LIKELIHOOD FOR RESTRICTIONS OVER THE WEEKEND. && .HYDROLOGY... 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN FELL WITH THE EXITING LOW...WITH THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS FROM THE PIT METRO NORTHWARD. THIS WIDESPREAD RAINFALL ON TOP OF THE RECENT 0.75 TO 1.40 INCHES OF RAIN FROM THE END OF LAST WEEK...AND THE MELTING SNOWPACK...HAS RESULTED IN FLOODING OF STREAMS AND CREEKS. NUMEROUS AREAL FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON FROM THE PITTSBURGH METRO AREA NORTH AND EAST. IN ADDITION...LARGER RIVERS ARE EXPERIENCING OR WILL EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT RISES. REFER TO THE LATEST RIVER FLOOD WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES FOR SPECIFIC DETAILS. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...NONE. OH...NONE. PA...NONE. WV...NONE. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 250 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029-031-073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-012000- GARRETT-TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-COSHOCTON-HARRISON- JEFFERSON OH-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-MERCER-VENANGO- FOREST-LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-BEAVER-ALLEGHENY- ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-WASHINGTON-GREENE-WESTMORELAND-WESTMORELAND RIDGES- FAYETTE-FAYETTE RIDGES-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO-MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION- MONONGALIA-PRESTON-TUCKER- 250 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
819 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0814 PM FLOOD CARROLLTON 40.58N 81.09W
02/28/2011 CARROLL OH EMERGENCY MNGR
SANDY CREEK FLOODING RIVERVIEW DRIVE.
0814 PM FLOOD NEW CASTLE 41.00N 80.35W
02/28/2011 LAWRENCE PA EMERGENCY MNGR
NASHUA CREEK FLOODING IN NASHUA. ALSO KINGS CHAPLE ROAD
CLOSED IN NESHANOCK.
&&SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 1128 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011 MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016- 020>023-029-031-073>076-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-010630- GARRETT-TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-COSHOCTON-HARRISON- JEFFERSON OH-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-MERCER- VENANGO-FOREST-LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-BEAVER- ALLEGHENY-ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-WASHINGTON-GREENE-WESTMORELAND- WESTMORELAND RIDGES-FAYETTE-FAYETTE RIDGES-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO- MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION-MONONGALIA-PRESTON-TUCKER- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...OAKLAND MD...GRANTSVILLE... NEW PHILADELPHIA...DOVER...UHRICHSVILLE...CARROLLTON... EAST LIVERPOOL...SALEM...COLUMBIANA...EAST PALESTINE... WELLSVILLE...CALCUTTA...COSHOCTON...CADIZ...HOPEDALE... STEUBENVILLE...ZANESVILLE...CAMBRIDGE...MARTINS FERRY... ST. CLAIRSVILLE...BELLAIRE...BARNESVILLE...SHADYSIDE... BRIDGEPORT...CALDWELL...WOODSFIELD...SHARON...HERMITAGE... GROVE CITY...GREENVILLE...FARRELL...OIL CITY...FRANKLIN... SUGARCREEK...TIONESTA...NEW CASTLE...ELLWOOD CITY...BUTLER... ZELIENOPLE...CLARION...PUNXSUTAWNEY...BROOKVILLE... REYNOLDSVILLE...BROCKWAY...ALIQUIPPA...BEAVER FALLS...AMBRIDGE... MONACA...BEAVER...PITTSBURGH METRO AREA...KITTANNING... FORD CITY...LEECHBURG...FREEPORT...APOLLO...INDIANA... WASHINGTON...CANONSBURG...DONORA...CALIFORNIA...CHARLEROI... MONONGAHELA...MCMURRAY...WAYNESBURG...FAIRDALE...GREENSBURG... NEW KENSINGTON...JEANNETTE...LATROBE...MONESSEN...LIGONIER... DONEGAL...NEW FLORENCE...ACME...CHAMPION...UNIONTOWN... CONNELLSVILLE...POINT MARION...NORMALVILLE...FARMINGTON... OHIOPYLE...MARKLEYSBURG...TORONTO...WEIRTON...WHEELING... MOUNDSVILLE...NEW MARTINSVILLE...FAIRMONT...MORGANTOWN... KINGWOOD...TERRA ALTA...PARSONS...DAVIS...THOMAS 1128 PM EST MON FEB 28 2011 ...RUNOFF FROM RAINFALL FREEZING ON ROADS... THE RUNOFF AND STANDING WATER FROM THE HEAVY RAINS EARLY MONDAY IS FREEZING ON UNTREATED ROADS. MOTORISTS OVERNIGHT SHOULD BE CAREFUL AT INTERSECTIONS AND LOW SPOTS. ALSO, ROADS ALONG HILL SIDES MAY BE ICY AS THE WATER THAT RUNS OFF THE HILL RUNS ACROSS THE ROAD AND FREEZES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Emergency management reported several roads still closed due to stnading waters as well as from creeks still out of their banks.
Emergency management reported several roads still closed due to stnading waters as well as from creeks still out of their banks.
Emergency management reported several roads still closed due to stnading waters as well as from creeks still out of their banks.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, March 2011
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: 284545, 284546, 284547.