An upper level trough of low pressure crossed the Ohio Valley and brought a round of rain and snow to the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 10 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.
An upper level trough of low pressure crossed the Ohio Valley and brought a round of rain and snow to the region.
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 14, 4:11 AM EST, 49 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 411 AM EST TUE FEB 14 2012 .SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LEVEL WAVE OF LOW PRESSURE WILL CROSS THE OHIO VALLEY TODAY AND BRING A ROUND OF RAIN AND SNOW TO THE REGION. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING A SHOT OF RAIN TO THE REGION WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... AM MAKING RELATIVELY MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FORECAST FOR TODAY...THOUGH THE TREND ON RADAR IS FOR A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN VALUES ATTM. MODELS ARE STILL SHOWING AN AREA OF ENHANCEMENT RUNNING FROM INDIANAPOLIS TO COLUMBUS EARLY TODAY AND I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT THIS FEATURE WILL NOT STILL MATERIALIZE. THE BROAD UPWARD MOTION WILL STILL BE IN PLAY THROUGH THE DAY TODAY AND THE HIGH VALUES OF POP ARE STILL VALID. STRONGER RETURNS OVER KY WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR ALONG THE SURFACE TROUGH AND COULD BRING A QUICK SHOT OF MEASURABLE SNOWFALL. WITH THE COMING DAYLIGHT HOURS AND INSOLATION...I TOOK TEMPERATURES ABOVE 35 AND MADE THEM STRAIGHT RAIN. A MIX WAS PUT IN BETWEEN 34 AND 35...WITH STRAIGHT SNOW LOWER THAN 34. THE CHANGEOVER TO RAIN APPEARS TO BE STRICTLY BASED ON THE WARMING OF THE BOUNDARY LAYER. THIS WARMING WILL NOT BE DEEP ENOUGH NORTH OF THE I-70 CORRIDOR BUT COULD HIT COLUMBUS LATE IN THE DAY AS SURFACE TEMPERATURES AHEAD OF THE FRONT CONTINUE TO SEE A SLOW BUT STEADY RISE. DO NOT SEE A REAL THREAT FOR MIXED PRECIP WITH PL BUT THEY CANNOT BE RULED OUT ENTIRELY FOR A VERY BRIEF TRANSITIONAL PERIOD OVER THE REGION TODAY. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/... ZONAL FLOW BEHIND THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE WILL QUICKLY PUSH THE UPWARD MOTION INTO THE EASTERN OHIO VALLEY THIS EVENING AND OUT OF CWA. HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD ON WEDNESDAY IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS. THE NEXT SYSTEM ON WED NIGHT AND THURSDAY WILL BE WARM ENOUGH THAT PRECIP TYPE QUESTIONS WILL NOT BE AN ISSUE AND ALL RAIN IS EXPECTED. TEMPERATURES WERE GENERALLY RAISED THROUGH THE PERIOD AS THERE IS AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF SOUTHERLY FLOW AT THE SURFACE AT THE SAME TIME THAT A MID LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS IN. && .LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... THE OHIO VALLEY LOOKS TO BE IN CONFLUENT WESTERLY UPPER LEVEL FLOW BETWEEN THE SOUTHERN AND NORTHERN STREAMS. SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD EAST ACROSS THE REGION FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND. NUMERICAL MODELS DIFFER ON THE EXACT DETAILS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A MID LEVEL TROF OVER THE GREAT LAKES NEXT WEEKEND. MOISTURE LOOKS TO BE LIMITED WITH MAIN STORM SYSTEM TO OUR SE. DUE TO THE LIMITED MOISTURE AND THE FACT THAT THE AFFECT WL LKLY BE SOUTH AND EAST OF ILN/S FA...HAVE MAINTAINED A DRY FCST THRU THE WEEKEND. UPPER LEVEL RIDGING TO PROVIDE DRY CONDITIONS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK AND A WARMING TREND. TEMPS TO START OUT ABOVE NORMAL THURSDAY AND THEN TRANSITION TO NEAR NORMAL LATE IN THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND WITH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPS LATE IN THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. && .AVIATION /09Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/... MUCH OF THE PREVIOUS FORECAST STILL LOOKS GOOD. ONSET OF THE PCPN AND MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS MIGHT BE AN HOUR OR SO SLOWER. H5 TROF IS STILL FCST TO SWING ACROSS THE OHIO VALLEY...REACHING CNTRL INDIANA BY 12Z. AHEAD OF THE TROF...SNOW WILL PICK UP IN THE ISENTROPIC LIFT. CIGS AND VSBYS WILL DROP TO IFR. EVEN AT THIS LATE TIME...MODELS ARE SHOWING DIFFERING SOLUTIONS ON HOW MUCH WARM AIR WILL WORK INTO THE SYSTEM THIS AFTN. GFS BUFR SOUNDINGS ARE SHOWING MORE SNOW THAN RAIN...WHILE THE NAM CHANGES THE SNOW TO RAIN BY 18Z IN THE SRN TAFS. KEPT THE RAIN CHANGEOVER AT CVG/LUK AND A MIX AT ILN...BUT KEPT THE PCPN ALL SNOW AT THE NRN TAFS. PCPN WILL LIGHTEN AND GRADUALLY END BETWEEN 21-00Z. VSBYS WILL IMPROVE...BUT CIGS WILL REMAIN IFR. CIGS WILL LIFT TO MVFR AFTER 00Z AS SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR MOVES IN. OUTLOOK...MVFR/IFR CIGS/VSBYS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY NIGHT. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...NONE. KY...NONE. IN...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...FRANKS NEAR TERM...FRANKS SHORT TERM...FRANKS LONG TERM...AR AVIATION...SITES
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 415 AM EST TUE FEB 14 2012 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-150915- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO- SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT- PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE- SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON- FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE-FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY- FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN- HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO- 415 AM EST TUE FEB 14 2012 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO...SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CHANGE TO RAIN ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE I-70 CORRIDOR BY THE AFTERNOON. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. RAINFALL OVER KENTUCKY WILL CUT ANY MORNING SNOW ACCUMULATIONS SIGNIFICANTLY. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 435 AM EST TUE FEB 14 2012 INZ050-058-059-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-051>054-060>062-141345- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE-SHELBY- LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-MADISON-PREBLE- MONTGOMERY-GREENE- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RICHMOND...CONNERSVILLE...LIBERTY... KENTON...CELINA...WAPAKONETA...GREENVILLE...SIDNEY... BELLEFONTAINE...MARYSVILLE...DELAWARE...PIQUA...URBANA... SPRINGFIELD...LONDON...EATON...DAYTON...XENIA 435 AM EST TUE FEB 14 2012 ...ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL SLOW THE MORNING COMMUTE... LIGHT SNOW WILL ACCUMULATE ON AREA ROADWAYS EARLY THIS MORNING. BY DAYBREAK...MOST AREAS WILL SEE AN INCH OR LESS OF ACCUMULATION. THIS SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF AN INCH MAY BRING TOTAL SNOWFALL TO THE REGION OF 1 TO 2 INCHES BY NIGHTFALL. THE SNOW WILL LIKELY RESULT IN SLICK SPOTS ON ROADS AND NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE MORNING COMMUTE. MOTORISTS SHOULD ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH THEIR INTENDED DESTINATION. INZ066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ055-056-063>065-070>074-077>082- 088-141345- FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN- BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON- MASON-LEWIS-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD- BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN- HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...BROOKVILLE...VERSAILLES... LAWRENCEBURG...RISING SUN...VEVAY...CARROLLTON...WARSAW... BURLINGTON...INDEPENDENCE...ALEXANDRIA...OWENTON...WILLIAMSTOWN... FALMOUTH...BROOKSVILLE...MOUNT OLIVET...MAYSVILLE...VANCEBURG... COLUMBUS...NEWARK...WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE...CIRCLEVILLE... LANCASTER...HAMILTON...LEBANON...WILMINGTON...CHILLICOTHE... LOGAN...CINCINNATI...MILFORD...GEORGETOWN...HILLSBORO... WEST UNION...PIKETON...PORTSMOUTH 435 AM EST TUE FEB 14 2012 ...ACCUMULATING SNOW WILL SLOW THE MORNING COMMUTE... LIGHT SNOW WILL BEGIN TO ACCUMULATE ON AREA ROADWAYS EARLY THIS MORNING. BY DAYBREAK...MOST AREAS WILL SEE AN INCH OR LESS OF ACCUMULATION WITH THE HIGHEST VALUES FOUND SOUTH OF METROPOLITAN CINCINNATI. THIS SNOW WILL CHANGE OVER TO STRAIGHT RAIN LATER THIS MORNING. THE WARMER AIR WILL BE PULLED NORTH THROUGH THE SCIOTO VALLEY INTO CENTRAL OHIO. TOTAL SNOWFALL EXPECTED THIS MORNING WILL BE AN INCH OR LESS. THE SNOW WILL LIKELY RESULT IN SLICK SPOTS ON ROADS AND NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE MORNING COMMUTE. MOTORISTS SHOULD ALLOW EXTRA TIME TO REACH THEIR INTENDED DESTINATION
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
10 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
An inch of snow was measured near Wapakoneta.
An inch of snow was measured by the highway department and a spotter in and around Georgetown.
An inch of snow was measured in Liberty Township.
An inch and a half of snow was measured near Urbana.
A half inch of snow was measured near Springfield.
A half inch of snow was measured at the NWS office.
An inch of snow was measured near Greenville.
An inch and a half of snow was measured at the Port Columbus Airport. Spotters in Worthington and south of Powell measured 1.4 and 1.2 inches, respectively.
An inch and a half of snow was measured in Bellefontaine. The highway department north of town measured .7 inches.
The Dayton International Airport measured 0.8 inches of snow. The highway department near Englewood measured a half 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: 367294, 367295, 367296, 367297, 367298, 367299, 367300, 367301, 367302, 367303.