Snow showers across the Ohio Valley brought one to two inches of accumulating snowfall. Cold air funneled into the region and numerous roadways were closed due to accidents from icy buildups, particularly in the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
Every event with a place to put it; 12 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.
Snow showers across the Ohio Valley brought one to two inches of accumulating snowfall. Cold air funneled into the region and numerous roadways were closed due to accidents from icy buildups, particularly in the Cincinnati metropolitan area.
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 Jan 31, 1:00 PM EST, 1 hour earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 100 PM EST THU JAN 31 2013 .SYNOPSIS... COLD AIR WILL BE PULLED INTO THE OHIO VALLEY TODAY AND TONIGHT IN THE WAKE OF A COLD FRONT. HIGH PRESSURE WILL SETTLE SOUTH OF THE REGION LATE FRIDAY. A WEAK SURFACE LOW ON SATURDAY WILL GET A REINFORCING KICK OF ENERGY FROM THE UPPER LEVELS SATURDAY NIGHT FOR ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL DURING THIS TIME. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... GOOD CAA CONTINUING ACROSS THE AREA. THE COMBINATION OF THIS AND A LITTLE BIT OF CYCLONIC LOW LEVEL FLOW IS HELPING TO KEEP THE SNOW SHOWERS GOING. WILL NUDGE UP POPS THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS...BUT STILL HANG ON TO SCATTERED WORDING DUE TO THE MORE CONVECTIVE NATURE OF THEM. SOME OF THE HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING A QUICK QUARTER TO HALF INCH OF SNOW. WILL CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT ACCUMULATIONS/POSSIBLE SLICK ROADS WITH AN SPS. AS THE ADVECTION BECOMES MORE NEUTRAL THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...EXPECT THE SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY TO TAPER OFF. THE CAA WILL KEEP THE TEMPERATURES FROM RISING TOO MUCH THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...BUT AS IT WEAKENS THIS AFTERNOON...WE COULD SEE TEMPERATURES STILL BUMP UP A FEW DEGREES. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY/... THE CORE OF THE COLD AIR WILL MOVE FROM INDIANA AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TOWARDS NORTHERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST OHIO BY DAYBREAK. SNOW SHOWERS ALONG THE LEADING EDGE OF THE COLD AIR ARE EXPECTED TO ERUPT...PARTICULARLY THIS LATE EVENING. IT WILL TAIL OFF AS THE TURBULENT MIXING ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD PUSH SUBSIDES OVERNIGHT. AN INCH OF ACCUMULATION IS POSSIBLE OVER MUCH OF KENTUCKY AND SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO. RETURN FLOW SETS UP SATURDAY AS HIGH PRESSURE IN KENTUCKY MOVES EAST. SURFACE LOW PRESSURE OVER INDIANA WILL COMBINE WITH A WEAK UPPER LEVEL TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE TO SPARK ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW SHOWERS. THIS WILL BECOME MORE EVIDENT SATURDAY NIGHT AND EARLY SUNDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH BECOMES MORE PRONOUNCED AND A VIGOROUS VORTICITY LOBE ON THE WEST SIDE OF IT HELPS WRING OUT MORE MOISTURE IN THE FORM OF SNOW. TEMPERATURES LATE TONIGHT WILL DROP INTO THE SINGLE DIGITS AS THE CORE OF THE COLD AIR SETTLES OVER THE DAYTON METRO AREA. CENTRAL OHIO WILL STILL BE IN THE DOUBLE DIGITS BUT JUST BARELY. WITH WESTERLY WINDS GUSTING TO 25 MPH THERE WILL BE WIND CHILLS JUST APPROACHING THE ADVISORY CRITERIA OF -10 DEG. AM NOT ISSUING AN ADVISORY AS THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH GRID POINTS FOR MORE THAN AN HOUR PROMPTING APPARENT TEMPERATURES THIS LOW. AM ALSO NOT ISSUING A SNOW ADVISORY FOR AN INCH OR LESS OF SNOW IN THE SOUTH TONIGHT...MAINLY DUE TO A NUMBER OF MODELS NOT SHOWING THAT MUCH SNOW AS IS IN THE FORECAST...OR SHOWING THE SNOW FURTHER IN THE WV MOUNTAINS THAN IN SOUTHERN OHIO AND NORTHERN KENTUCKY. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... A WEAK DISTURBANCE WILL WORK THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY MORNING. SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL WORK INTO THE AREA ON MONDAY AND THEREFORE SOME LOCATIONS WILL SEE SNOW MIX WITH RAIN OR BE ALL RAIN FOR PORTIONS OF MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO MONDAY NIGHT BEFORE CHANGING BACK TO ALL SNOW BY TUESDAY MORNING. DRY CONDITIONS AND HIGH PRESSURE WILL WORK BACK INTO THE REGION BY TUESDAY NIGHT AND REMAIN ACROSS THE FA FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE LONG TERM. && .AVIATION /18Z THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ARE CONTINUING ACROSS THE REGION IN CAA PATTERN AND STEEP LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES. CAA WILL CONTINUE TO BECOME MORE NEUTRAL THROUGH THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS SHOULD ALLOW FOR A DECREASING TREND IN SHOWER ACTIVITY THROUGH LATE AFTERNOON. HAVE LIMITED VSBY RESTRICTIONS TO MVFR IN THE TAFS BUT GIVEN THE MORE CONVECTIVE NATURE OF THE SHOWERS...VSBYS MAY BRIEFLY DROP DOWN TO POSSIBLY IFR/LIFR IN SOME OF THE HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. A STRENGTHENING LOW LEVEL TROUGH WILL PIVOT THROUGH THE REGION THIS EVENING. THIS WILL LIKELY ALLOW FOR SNOW SHOWERS TO REDEVELOP BY EARLY EVENING...ESPECIALLY ACROSS OUR SOUTHERN AREAS. WE SHOULD THEN DRY OUT LATER TONIGHT AS THE TROUGH AXIS SHIFTS EAST...WITH MVFR CIGS LINGERING INTO FRIDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY THROUGH THE NIGHT AS A SECONDARY SHOT OF CAA WILL OVERSPREAD THE REGION BEHIND THE TROUGH. OUTLOOK...MVFR CONDITIONS POSSIBLE SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY AND AGAIN MONDAY AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...NONE. KY...NONE. IN...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...FRANKS NEAR TERM...JGL SHORT TERM...FRANKS LONG TERM...NOVAK AVIATION...JGL
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 133 PM EST THU JAN 31 2013 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>093-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>055-060>063-070>072-077-078-011845- WAYNE-FAYETTE IN-UNION IN-FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO- SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-HARDIN-MERCER- AUGLAIZE-DARKE-SHELBY-LOGAN-UNION OH-DELAWARE-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK- MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE-FAYETTE OH-BUTLER- WARREN-CLINTON-HAMILTON-CLERMONT- 133 PM EST THU JAN 31 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...MIAMI VALLEY OF OHIO...SOUTHWEST OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES BELOW A HALF MILE AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON. A QUICK QUARTER TO HALF INCH OF ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS. THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND MODERATE WINDS WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILL READINGS BELOW ZERO LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND MODERATE WINDS WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILL READINGS BELOW ZERO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. KYZ094>100-OHZ056-064-065-073-074-079>082-088-011845- OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-LICKING-PICKAWAY- FAIRFIELD-ROSS-HOCKING-BROWN-HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO- 133 PM EST THU JAN 31 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO AND SOUTH CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL REDUCE VISIBILITIES BELOW A HALF MILE AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON. A QUICK QUARTER INCH OF SNOW ACCUMULATION WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE HEAVIER SNOW SHOWERS. A BETTER CHANCE OF SNOW WILL DEVELOP LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THIS COULD RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR SO OF ACCUMULATING SNOW THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND MODERATE WINDS WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILL READINGS BELOW ZERO LATE TONIGHT. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE COMBINATION OF VERY COLD AIR AND MODERATE WINDS WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILL READINGS BELOW ZERO EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1049 AM EST THU JAN 31 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0630 AM TSTM WND DMG 5 NNE MIDWAY 39.80N 83.42W
01/30/2013 MADISON OH BROADCAST MEDIA
HAY BARN DESTROYED AND A SNAPPED POWER POLE
&&SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 1103 AM EST THU JAN 31 2013 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-311900- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RICHMOND...CONNERSVILLE...LIBERTY... BROOKVILLE...VERSAILLES...LAWRENCEBURG...RISING SUN...VEVAY... CARROLLTON...WARSAW...BURLINGTON...INDEPENDENCE...ALEXANDRIA... OWENTON...WILLIAMSTOWN...FALMOUTH...BROOKSVILLE...MOUNT OLIVET... MAYSVILLE...VANCEBURG...KENTON...CELINA...WAPAKONETA... GREENVILLE...SIDNEY...BELLEFONTAINE...MARYSVILLE...DELAWARE... PIQUA...URBANA...SPRINGFIELD...LONDON...COLUMBUS...NEWARK... EATON...DAYTON...XENIA...WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE...CIRCLEVILLE... LANCASTER...HAMILTON...LEBANON...WILMINGTON...CHILLICOTHE... LOGAN...CINCINNATI...MILFORD...GEORGETOWN...HILLSBORO... WEST UNION...PIKETON...PORTSMOUTH 1103 AM EST THU JAN 31 2013 ...SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE INTO EARLY AFTERNOON... LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA INTO EARLY AFTERNOON. A FEW POCKETS OF MODERATE SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE AND MAY RESULT IN A LIGHT DUSTING OF ACCUMULATION ON UNTREATED ROADWAYS...BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. THIS WILL RESULT IN SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS IN SOME AREAS. IN ADDITION...WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST IN EXCESS OF 35 MPH AT TIMES THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON. COMBINED WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 20S...THIS WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILLS AROUND 10 TO 15 DEGREES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING TODAY AND BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY PATCHES ON AREA ROADWAYS.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 123 PM EST THU JAN 31 2013 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-312200- 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- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...RICHMOND...CONNERSVILLE...LIBERTY... BROOKVILLE...VERSAILLES...LAWRENCEBURG...RISING SUN...VEVAY... CARROLLTON...WARSAW...BURLINGTON...INDEPENDENCE...ALEXANDRIA... OWENTON...WILLIAMSTOWN...FALMOUTH...BROOKSVILLE...MOUNT OLIVET... MAYSVILLE...VANCEBURG...KENTON...CELINA...WAPAKONETA... GREENVILLE...SIDNEY...BELLEFONTAINE...MARYSVILLE...DELAWARE... PIQUA...URBANA...SPRINGFIELD...LONDON...COLUMBUS...NEWARK... EATON...DAYTON...XENIA...WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE...CIRCLEVILLE... LANCASTER...HAMILTON...LEBANON...WILMINGTON...CHILLICOTHE... LOGAN...CINCINNATI...MILFORD...GEORGETOWN...HILLSBORO... WEST UNION...PIKETON...PORTSMOUTH 123 PM EST THU JAN 31 2013 ...SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON... LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS MUCH OF THE AREA THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. A FEW POCKETS OF MODERATE SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE AND MAY RESULT IN A LIGHT ACCUMULATION OF A DUSTING TO A FEW TENTHS OF AN INCH...ESPECIALLY ON UNTREATED ROADWAYS...BRIDGES AND OVERPASSES. THIS WILL RESULT IN SLIPPERY ROAD CONDITIONS IN SOME AREAS. IN ADDITION...WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO GUST TO 35 MPH AT TIMES THIS AFTERNOON. COMBINED WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE 20S...THIS WILL RESULT IN WIND CHILLS IN THE TEENS. MOTORISTS SHOULD USE EXTRA CAUTION WHILE TRAVELING TODAY AND BE PREPARED FOR SLIPPERY PATCHES ON AREA ROADWAYS...AS WELL AS REDUCED VISIBILITIES WITHIN THE HEAVIER BANDS OF SNOW.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A spotter in Maud measured 1.4 inches of snow while another in Oxford measured 1.3 inches. Four other reports of an inch of accumulation came across the county.
A spotter in Donnelsville measured 1.5 inches of snow. Cocorahs observers measured 1.4 inches northwest of Springfield and 0.9 inches southwest of Springfield.
The Cocorahs observer near Goshen measured an inch of snow.
The Cocorahs observer north of Wilmington measured 2.3 inches of snow. A NWS employee northeast of Ogden measured 1.8 inches while the NWS office measured 1.6 inches.
The county garage near Lancaster measured 1.5 inches of snow. A spotter about a mile south of them measured 1.4 inches.
The Cocorahs observer west of Washington Court House measured 1.8 inches of snow.
The Cocorahs observer southeast of New Albany measured 1.9 inches of snow. The airport recorded 1.6 inches, while a spotter 2 miles northwest of Columbus measured an inch.
The county garage in Xenia measured 1.5 inches of snow.
The Cocorahs observer 9 miles northwest of Cincinnati measured 1.6 inches of snow while another near Cheviot measured 1.5 inches. Spotters near Fairfax measured 1.4 inches while another 3 miles east of Cheviot measured 1.3 inches. Three other reports of an inch came in from around the Cincinnati area. Multiple cars were reported off I-71, I-275 and I-75. The Ludlow Viaduct was temporarily closed as it was treated.|There were accidents on the Brent Spence Bridge and I-471 bridge. West bound Ronald Reagan at I-275 was closed while they waited for salt trucks to treat the area. There were multiple minor accidents through out the area.
The Dayton airport measured 1.1 inches of snow. The Cocorahs observer northwest of Huber Heights and the observer east of Brookville both measured an inch.
The Cocorahs observer north of Eaton and the observer southwest of Eaton both measured an inch of snow.
The Cocorahs observer in Rosemount measured 1.5 inches of snow. A spotter in Lucasville measured 0.8 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, January 2013
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: 429939, 429940, 429941, 429944, 429945, 429947, 429949, 429950, 429955, 429956, 429958, 429959.