Light snow overspread the Ohio Valley ahead of an Arctic cold front.
Every event with a place to put it; 24 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 ILN wrote it up.
Light snow overspread the Ohio Valley ahead of an Arctic cold front.
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 Feb 10, 1:28 PM EST, 1 hour 32 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
128 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012
.SYNOPSIS...
AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING EAST WAS RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD
SNOW ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. A COLD FRONT WILL THEN
DROP THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT...ENHANCING THE SNOW. STRONG
NORTHERLY WINDS WILL BRING SNOW SHOWERS ON SATURDAY...BEFORE HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE REGION SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
SPLIT UPPER LEVEL FLOW PATTERN WITH SRN SHORTWAVE OVER THE LOWER
MS VLY TRACKING INTO THE OHIO VALLEY TODAY. THIS S/W IS ABSORBED
INTO THE FLOW AHEAD OF A DIGGING NORTHERN TROF WHICH DROPS S INTO
THE TDA AND OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT/SATURDAY. WEAK ISENTROPIC LIFT HAS
DEVELOPED ACROSS THE REGION WITH SNOW OVERSPREADING ILN/S FA.
BASED ON THERMAL PROFILES...EXPECT TO SEE ALL SNOW. DUE TO TEMPS
AND WEAK LIFT EXPECT SNOW TO BE LESS THAN AN INCH BY EVENING BUT
WITH WIDESPREAD SNOW A LTL QUICKER...HAVE ADJUSTED WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY TO START NOW.
BETTER LIFT DEVELOPS TONIGHT WITH A GOOD AXIS OF 925MB CONVERGENCE
PIVOTING SE BETWEEN 03Z AND 09Z. UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF STRONG CAA
EXPECT SNOW TO WATER RATIO TO BETTER THAN 15 TO 1. EXPECT SNOW TOTALS
OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ACROSS THE FAR SOUTH WITH AROUND 2 INCHES AND
LOCALLY UP TO 3 ACROSS THE NORTH THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY.
HAVE CONTINUED A SPACIAL WEATHER STATEMENT ACROSS THE NORTH
WHERE CRITERIA FOR AN ADVISORY IS 4 INCHES. BASED ON CLOUDS AND
EVAPORATIVE COOLING AT THE ONSET OF PRECIP HAVE TRENDED TODAYS
HIGHS ON COOL SIDE WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE MID 30S.
&&
.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/...
THE COLD FRONT WILL DROP THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT...PROVIDING
ADDITION LIFT. QPF AMOUNTS OF 0.05 TO 0.15 OVERNIGHT WILL COMBINE
WITH SNOW RATIO OF 15-20 TO 1 TO PRODUCE SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3
INCHES. WONT EXPAND THE ADVISORY TO THE NORTH AT THIS TIME.
CRITERIA IS AN AVERAGE OF 4 INCHES FOR THE NORTHERN COUNTIES AND
DONT SEE THOSE AMOUNTS AT THIS TIME. AS THE FRONT PUSHES E
TONIGHT...WINDS WILL TURN TO THE N AND INCREASE. THIS WILL CAUSE
SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW.
H8 TEMPERATURES BY SATURDAY WILL DROP TO -18C. WITH THIS COLD OF
AIR FLOWING ACROSS THE OPEN LAKES...SHOULD SEE SNOW SHOWERS ACROSS
THE REGION ON SATURDAY. WILL KEEP POPS IN THE CHC CATEGORY FOR
NOW...BUT COULD SEE THEM INCREASE AT A LATER TIME.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BEGIN TO BUILD IN ON SATURDAY NIGHT...BRINGING
AN END TO ANY LINGERING FLURRIES.
RAN CLOSE TO THE NAM/GFS MOS FOR TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD.
&&
.LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY ON
SUNDAY WITH CORE OF COLDER AIR BEGINNING TO SHIFT OFF TO THE EAST.
COMBINATION OF THIS AND SOME SUN WILL ALLOW FOR A BIT OF A
MODERATION IN TEMPS BUT READINGS WILL STILL BE BELOW NORMAL. AS HIGH
PUSHES OFF TO THE EAST THROUGH SUNDAY...WE WILL GET INTO SOME
RETURN FLOW...ALLOWING FOR A RETURN TO MORE SEASONABLE TEMPS.
SHORT WAVE ENERGY WILL LIFT OUT OF THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY
MONDAY NIGHT AND PUSH ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY ON TUESDAY.
INCREASING ISENTROPIC LIFT OUT AHEAD OF THIS WILL OVERSPREAD THE
OHIO VALLEY REGION MONDAY NIGHT...LEADING TO AN INCREASING CHANCE OF
PCPN THROUGH THE NIGHT. PCPN WILL THEN TAPER OFF FROM THE WEST
THROUGH LATE MORNING/EARLY AFTERNOON TUESDAY AS SYSTEM SHIFTS OFF TO
THE EAST. MODELS HAVE TRENDED A LITTLE COOLER WITH THIS SYSTEM SO
EXPECT BULK OF PCPN TO BE SNOW AND WITH TIMING OF BEST PCPN EXPECTED
TO BE DURING THE NIGHT TIME HOURS...WE COULD PICK UP SOME LIGHT
ACCUMULATIONS.
SHORT WAVE RIDGING WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA THROUGH MID WEEK.
MODELS ARE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME RESOLVING ENERGY EJECTING OUT OF
THE SOUTHWESTERN UNITED STATES LATE IN THE WEEK...BUT OVERALL TREND
HAS BEEN SLOWER. AS A RESULT...WILL JUST HAVE SOME LOW POPS IN FOR
LATE IN THE PERIOD...AND THIS MAY STILL BE TOO FAST IF SLOWER TRENDS
CONTINUE.
&&
.AVIATION /19Z FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...
SPLIT UPPER LEVEL FLOW PATTERN WITH SRN SHORTWAVE OVER THE LWR
MS VLY TRACKING INTO THE OHIO VALLEY TODAY. THIS S/W IS ABSORBED
INTO THE FLOW AHEAD OF A DIGGING NORTHERN TROF WHICH DROPS S INTO
THE OHIO VALLEY TONIGHT/SATURDAY. SNOW WAS BEGINNING TO OVERSPREAD
KDAY AND KCVG IN RESPONSE TO THIS INITIAL UPPER DISTURBANCE.
EXPECT CIGS TO DROP TO MVFR WITH VSBYS DROPPING TO IFR IN SNOW AS
IT OVERSPREADS ALL TAF SITES. BETTER LIFT DEVELOPS TONIGHT BETWEEN
03Z AND 09Z. EXPECT WIDESPREAD SNOW WITH IFR VSBYS/CIGS.
ALSO..SNOW AROUND 2 INCHES WL BE LIKELY BY MORNING.
ARCTIC COLD FRONT TO SWEEP SE THROUGH THE TAF SITES OVERNIGHT.
WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST AND INCREASE TO BETWEEN 15 AND
20 KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 KTS IN THE POST FRONTAL ENVIRONMENT.
CIGS WL IMPROVE TO MVFR CAT ON SATURDAY BUT STRONG NW WINDS WILL
CONTINUE AND LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE WIND WL LKLY
RESULT IN SOME BLOWING SNOW AND VSBY RESTRICTIONS.
OUTLOOK...MVFR CIGS/VSBYS IN SNOW LIKELY ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS
THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY AND ARE POSSIBLE AGAIN ON TUESDAY.
&&
.ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EST SATURDAY FOR OHZ063>065-
070>074-077>082-088.
KY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EST SATURDAY FOR KYZ089>100.
IN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON EST SATURDAY FOR INZ066-
073>075-080.
&&
SYNOPSIS...SITES
NEAR TERM...AR
SHORT TERM...SITES
LONG TERM...
AVIATION...ARHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 121 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012 INZ050-058-059-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>056-060>062-111830- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE-SHELBY-LOGAN- UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING- PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE- 121 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...CENTRAL OHIO...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A STRONG COLD FRONT DROPPING SOUTH THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES WILL REACH THE REGION THIS EVENING. AHEAD OF THE FRONT...LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF HALF AN INCH OR LESS ARE EXPECTED BEFORE SUNSET. ADDITIONAL SNOW WILL FALL TONIGHT...WITH ONE TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW EXPECTED. WINDS WILL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST TONIGHT AND WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW. WIND CHILL VALUES WILL DROP TO AROUND ZERO .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY IN SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS. WIND CHILL VALUES BETWEEN ZERO AND 5 BELOW ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. INZ066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ063>065-070>074-077>082-088-111830- FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE- KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS- FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING- HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN-HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO- 121 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL NOON EST SATURDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO AND SOUTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. ADDITIONAL LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY IN SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS. WIND CHILL VALUES AROUND ZERO ARE POSSIBLE SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 938 AM EST FRI FEB 10 2012 INZ050-058-059-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>056-060>062-102315- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE-SHELBY- LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON-FRANKLIN OH- LICKING-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RICHMOND...CONNERSVILLE...LIBERTY... KENTON...CELINA...WAPAKONETA...GREENVILLE...SIDNEY... BELLEFONTAINE...MARYSVILLE...DELAWARE...PIQUA...URBANA... SPRINGFIELD...LONDON...COLUMBUS...NEWARK...EATON...DAYTON...XENIA 938 AM EST FRI FEB 10 2012 ...SNOW EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT... A STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP SOUTH THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES TODAY AND THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY OVERNIGHT. LIGHT SNOW WILL DEVELOP AHEAD OF THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF HALF AN INCH OR LESS ARE EXPECTED BEFORE SUNSET. ADDITIONAL SNOW WILL FALL TONIGHT...WITH ONE TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY. WINDS WILL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST TONIGHT AND WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE DUE TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS THAT WILL FALL DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY. MOTORISTS ARE CAUTIONED TO ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO TRAVEL TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY AS ROADS MAY BECOME SLIPPERY DUE TO THE NEW SNOWFALL.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 123 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012 INZ050-058-059-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>056-060>062-102330- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE-SHELBY- LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON-FRANKLIN OH- LICKING-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RICHMOND...CONNERSVILLE...LIBERTY... KENTON...CELINA...WAPAKONETA...GREENVILLE...SIDNEY... BELLEFONTAINE...MARYSVILLE...DELAWARE...PIQUA...URBANA... SPRINGFIELD...LONDON...COLUMBUS...NEWARK...EATON...DAYTON...XENIA 123 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012 ...SNOW EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON INTO TONIGHT... A STRONG ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP SOUTH THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES TODAY AND THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY OVERNIGHT. LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE AHEAD OF THE FRONT THIS AFTERNOON. SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OF HALF AN INCH OR LESS ARE EXPECTED BEFORE SUNSET. ADDITIONAL SNOW WILL FALL TONIGHT...WITH ONE TO THREE INCHES OF SNOW EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY. WINDS WILL TURN TO THE NORTHWEST TONIGHT AND WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 30 MPH. THIS WILL CAUSE SOME BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF THE SNOW. ADDITIONAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE DUE TO SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS THAT WILL FALL DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY. MOTORISTS ARE CAUTIONED TO ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO TRAVEL TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY AS ROADS MAY BECOME SLIPPERY DUE TO THE NEW SNOWFALL.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
252 PM EST FRI FEB 10 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0238 PM SNOW 3 E BATAVIA 39.08N 84.13W
02/10/2012 M0.8 INCH CLERMONT OH TRAINED SPOTTER
&&
SFHThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
24 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The observer in West Union measured 1.9 inches of snow while the highway department measured 1.5 inches.
An inch of snow was measured in Wapakoneta.
An inch of snow was measured near Georgetown.
In Liberty Township, 1.6 inches of snow was measured. An inch and a half was measured in Wetherington while 1.3 inches was measured in Hamilton by the highway department.
The observer in St. Paris measured 1.1 inches of snowfall.
The observer near Springfield measured 1.6 inches of snow. The cooperative observer in New Carlisle measured .8 inches.
A spotter 5 miles southwest of Bethel measured an inch and a half of snow.
An observer 2 miles north of Wilmington measured 2 inches of snow. A spotter in Blanchester and the NWS office both measured 1.7 inches.
Both the highway department near Greenville and the observer in Versailles measured an inch of snow.
An inch and a half of snow was measured in Delaware.
An inch of snow was measured near Washington Court House.
Two inches of snow was measured in Westerville. The Port Columbus Airport measured 1.9 inches while another observer 9 miles northeast of Columbus measured 1.8 inches.
An inch and a half of snow was measured in Blue Ash, Sharonville, Cincinnati, and near Cheviot.
Three quarters of an inch of snow was measured near Hillsboro.
An inch of snow was measured by the observer in Laurelville.
An inch and a half of snow was measured five miles south southeast of Heath. An observer three miles north northeast of Pickerington measured 1.2 inches of snow.
Two inches of snow fell in Bellefontaine while an inch and a half of snow was measured in Huntsville.
In Union, a spotter measured 1.6 inches of snow. Another in West Carrollton measured 1.3 inches. An inch of snow fell near Englewood and Farmersville.
An inch of snow fell near Circleville.
An inch and a half of snow fell 5 miles south southwest of Piketon.
The observer and a spotter both measured two inches of snow in and near Eaton.
The observer in Rosemount measured an inch and a half of snow while the highway department in Lucasville measured an inch.
The observer three miles north northwest of Anna measured two inches of snow. Other reports had an inch and a half in both Jackson Center and near Fort Loramie.
The observer in Kings Mills measured 1.2 inches of snow. The highway department near Lebanon measured an inch.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, February 2012
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: 367244, 367245, 367246, 367258, 367260, 367263, 367265, 367266, 367267, 367268, 367269, 367270, 367271, 367272, 367273, 367275, 367276, 367277, 367278, 367279, 367281, 367283, 367284, 367285.