A strengthening low pressure system approached the region from the southwest on Saturday, January 9th and passed through overnight. Rain changed over to snow as cold air worked in behind the departing low on Sunday morning.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
A strengthening low pressure system approached the region from the southwest on Saturday, January 9th and passed through overnight. Rain changed over to snow as cold air worked in behind the departing low on Sunday morning.
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 10, 1:07 AM EST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
107 AM EST SUN JAN 10 2016
.SYNOPSIS...
A STRENGTHENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA
TONIGHT...BRINGING RAIN TO THE REGION. THE RAIN WILL CHANGE TO
SNOW AS TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO DROP ON SUNDAY MORNING. HIGH
PRESSURE WILL EXTEND OVER THE OHIO VALLEY ON MONDAY...BEFORE A
COLD FRONT MOVES INTO THE AREA ON TUESDAY...PROVIDING ANOTHER
CHANCE OF SNOW.
&&
.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM THIS MORNING/...
LATEST RUNS OF THE RAP AND HRRR HAVE INTENSIFIED THE PCPN AREA IN
THE TRANSITION ZONE FROM RAIN TO SNOW AT THE END OF TONIGHT INTO
EARLY SUNDAY MORNING. THEREFORE THERE COULD BE AN ENHANCED BAND
OF SNOW ACROSS THE WESTERN HALF OF THE FA WHICH COULD PRODUCE
BETWEEN 1 AND 2 INCHES. WINDS WILL GUST OVER MPH AS THE SNOW COMES
IN, CAUSING ADDITIONAL TRAVEL DIFFICULTIES. THEREFORE ISSUED A
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. INCLUDED OWEN, GRANT, CARROLL AND
GALLATIN COUNTIES IN THE ADVISORY WHERE AN INCH OR LESS IS
EXPECTED IN ORDER TO LINE OF WITH ADVISORIES ALREADY OUT TO THE
WEST.
STILL EXPECTING LOWS RANGING FROM AROUND 30 IN SE INDIANA TOMORROW
MORNING TO AROUND 40 IN PORTIONS OF THE SCIOTO VALLEY.
&&
.SHORT TERM /6 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 6 PM MONDAY/...
BY EARLY SUNDAY MORNING...A STRONG SURFACE FRONT WILL BE ENTERING
THE ILN FORECAST AREA FROM THE WEST...SPEEDING UP AS IT MOVES EAST
THROUGH THE MIDDLE OHIO VALLEY. THIS FRONT WILL HAVE PIVOTED TO AN
ALMOST PERFECTLY NORTH-TO-SOUTH ORIENTATION...SEPARATING
TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S ON ITS EAST SIDE FROM TEMPERATURES IN THE
20S ON ITS WEST SIDE. AS SURFACE LOW PRESSURE STRENGTHENS AND
MOVES ALONG THE BOUNDARY...NORTH-NORTHEAST THROUGH THE
OHIO...NEGATIVE THETA-E ADVECTION WILL BECOME QUITE POTENT. THE
STRONG PRESSURE AND TEMPERATURE GRADIENT WILL MARK A SIGNIFICANT
SHIFT IN WEATHER CONDITIONS...AS COLDER AND DRIER AIR BEGINS TO
MOVE INTO THE REGION...AND CONTINUES TO DO SO THROUGHOUT THE DAY
ON SUNDAY. TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO FALL THROUGH THE ENTIRE
DAY...DROPPING AS MUCH AS 20-30 DEGREES FROM SUNDAY MORNING TO
SUNDAY NIGHT.
THE STRONGEST FORCING WITH THE FRONT APPEARS TO BE FOUND IN THE
LOW LEVELS. MODELS SHOW THAT LOW-LEVEL DEFORMATION AND COLD
ADVECTION LINE UP NICELY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA BETWEEN 09Z AND
15Z. WEAKER FRONTAL FORCING ALOFT WILL LAG SLIGHTLY BEHIND...BUT
ONLY BY A FEW HOURS. THIS MEANS THAT THE TIMING FOR THE MAJORITY
OF THE FRONTAL PRECIPITATION WILL NOT EXTEND SIGNIFICANTLY INTO
THE DAY ON SUNDAY...AS DRIER DEEP-LAYER AIR MOVES INTO THE
REGION...AND FORCING SHUTS DOWN BY MID-DAY. THE GREATEST CHALLENGE
WITH THE FORECAST IS ASSESSING HOW MUCH POTENTIAL FOR
PRECIPITATION WILL STILL EXIST AS TEMPERATURES BECOME COLD ENOUGH
FOR SNOW. THERE IS DEFINITELY SOME OVERLAP...BUT THE MAJORITY OF
THE PRECIPITATION (IN TERMS OF LIQUID PERCENTAGE) WILL LIKELY FALL
AS RAIN. OVERALL EXPECTATIONS FOR THE ILN FORECAST AREA HAVE NOT
CHANGED TOO MUCH WITH REGARDS TO SNOW NUMBERS...WITH AROUND AN
INCH TO THE NORTH OF A LINE FROM BATESVILLE INDIANA TO
DELAWARE OHIO...AND LESSER AMOUNTS TO THE SOUTH (PERHAPS VERY
LITTLE IN THE FAR SOUTHEASTERN CWA). A STRONGER SURFACE LOW THAN
CURRENTLY ANTICIPATED COULD INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR BANDED
FORCING ON ITS BACK SIDE...SO THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE FAR
WESTERN AND NORTHWESTERN SECTIONS OF THE CWA MAY REQUIRE AN UPWARD
ADJUSTMENT TO THE FORECAST...IF THIS SCENARIO ENDS UP APPEARING
MORE LIKELY.
GUSTY WINDS WILL ALSO REMAIN IN THE FORECAST BEHIND THE
FRONT. THE STRONGEST GUSTS (35-40 MPH) ARE EXPECTED IN THE
NORTHERN CWA...WHERE THE PRESSURE GRADIENT FROM THE SURFACE LOW
WILL BE STRONGEST. MOMENTUM TRANSFER WAS EXAMINED ON BUFKIT FROM
SEVERAL MODELS...THOUGH AS USUAL THE 12Z GFS GUSTS WERE DISCARDED
AS TOO STRONG.
BEHIND THE COLD FRONT...A SHALLOW LAYER OF MOISTURE AT THE TOP OF
THE MIXED LAYER WILL LIKELY KEEP SKIES CLOUDY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY
THROUGH EVENING...BEFORE THE STRATOCUMULUS BEGINS TO ERODE
OVERNIGHT. AS THIS MOIST LAYER WILL INTERSECT THE DENDRITIC GROWTH
ZONE...SOME FLURRIES WILL LIKELY BE POSSIBLE FOR SEVERAL HOURS
AFTER THE CHANCE FOR ACCUMULATING SNOW HAS ENDED.
IF THE CURRENT FORECAST HOLDS...AND SNOW IS MEASURED AT
CVG ON SUNDAY MORNING...THERE WILL BE NO NEW RECORD FOR LATEST
FIRST SNOWFALL IN A WINTER SEASON. THE OLD RECORD WAS SET WHEN A
TENTH OF AN INCH FELL ON JANUARY 12 1983.
&&
.LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
THE FIRST PART OF THE LONG TERM PERIOD WILL FEATURE THE CONTINUATION
OF A COLD WEATHER PATTERN AS A LONG WAVE TROUGH DIGS INTO SOUTHEAST
CANADA...THE GREAT LAKES...THE OHIO VALLEY AND THE NEW ENGLAND
REGION.
ON MONDAY...THERE WILL BE A BRIEF RESPITE IN THE THREAT FOR
PRECIPITATION AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE QUICKLY SHUNTS OFF TO THE
EAST. SKIES WILL GENERALLY START OUT MOSTLY SUNNY WITH CLOUDS
INCREASING FROM WEST TO EAST AHEAD OF THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM. HIGHS
WILL STAY BELOW FREEZING...RANGING FROM THE MID 20S NORTH TO THE
LOWER 30S SOUTH.
FOR MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY...AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL PUSH
SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE GREAT LAKES AND OHIO VALLEY REGION. A LEAD
S/WV AND MODEST ISENTROPIC LIFT IS EXPECTED FIRST BEFORE THE FRONT
ARRIVES. THIS WILL START SPREADING LIGHT SNOW INTO OUR NORTHWEST
ZONES MONDAY EVENING INTO EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. A STRONGER S/WV IN
ASSOCIATION WITH THE ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL THEN CAUSE A SYNOPTIC
SCALE RESPONSE...WHICH WILL MANIFEST ITSELF AS A BAND OF SNOW ALONG
AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT DURING TUESDAY MORNING. THIS PRECIPITATION
WILL LIKELY BE ARRIVING FOR THE MORNING COMMUTE FOR MOST LOCATIONS.
SNOW TOTALS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING WILL LIKELY RANGE FROM
1 TO 2 INCHES NORTH OF THE OHIO RIVER...AND AROUND AN INCH SOUTH OF
THE OHIO RIVER. THE ARRIVAL OF THE SNOW LOOKS TO OCCUR DURING THE
MORNING COMMUTE...AND WITH INCREASING GUSTY WINDS...IT WILL POSE A
TRAVEL HAZARD. ONCE THE FRONT PASSES EAST OF THE REGION BY EARLY
AFTERNOON...STRONG CAA...STEEPENING LOW LEVEL LAPSE RATES...AND
LINGERING SHALLOW LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL TRANSITION THE SNOW TO
SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS. THE NWS BURLINGTON SNOW SQUALL PARAMETER
INDICATES THAT SOME OF THE SNOW SHOWERS MAY BE ROBUST...CAPABLE OF
DROPPING VISIBILITIES QUICKLY IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME ALONG WITH A
QUICK MINOR ACCUMULATION. HIGHS TUESDAY WILL BE EARLY...WITH FALLING
TEMPERATURES EXPECTED DURING THE DAY.
FOR TUESDAY NIGHT...SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL TAPER TO A FEW
FLURRIES DURING THE EVENING...WITH SKIES BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY
TOWARD WEDNESDAY MORNING AS ARCTIC HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE
OHIO VALLEY FROM THE WEST. THE COLDEST LOWS OF THE WEEK ARE EXPECTED
BY WEDNESDAY MORNING WITH SINGLE DIGITS ALONG AND NORTH OF THE OHIO
RIVER AND LOWER TEENS SOUTH. ALTHOUGH WINDS WILL GRADUALLY
DECREASE...THEY WILL BE STRONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE COLD WIND CHILL
VALUES AROUND 10 BELOW NORTH AND FROM 5 BELOW TO ZERO SOUTH.
THE ARCTIC HIGH WILL TRAVERSE THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY WITH PARTLY TO
MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES FORECAST. HIGHS WILL BE COLD...RANGING FROM THE
MID TEENS NORTH TO THE LOWER 20S SOUTH.
FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY...A WEAK COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO
PASS THROUGH THE REGION BRING A SMALL CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS.
FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EXTENDED...FRIDAY AND INTO THE
WEEKEND...MODELS DIFFER ON HOW FAST COLD AIR WILL MODIFY AND HOW
SOUTHERN STREAM ENERGY WILL IMPACT THE OHIO VALLEY. HAVE TAKEN A
BLEND OF THE ECMWF AND WPC GUIDANCE WHICH BRING A LOW CHANCE OF SNOW
TO THE REGION ON SATURDAY.
&&
.AVIATION /06Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE TAF SITES OVERNIGHT. VSBYS
WILL BE REDUCED TO THE MVFR CATEGORY AT TIMES WITH SOME OF THE
HEAVIER RAIN. MVFR AND IFR CIGS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA. A COLD
FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA SUNDAY MORNING. RAIN WILL CHANGE
OVER TO SNOW. VSBYS WILL BE FURTHER REDUCED WITH THE SNOW TO THE
LIFR CATEGORY AND WIDESPREAD IFR CIGS ARE EXPECTED. WINDS WILL
PICK UP AND BECOME GUSTY. WIND GUSTS OF AROUND 35 KNOTS WILL OCCUR
AT TIMES FOR THE DAY ON SUNDAY. SNOW WILL TAPER OFF FROM WEST TO
EAST THROUGH THE DAY AND CIGS WILL IMPROVE SLIGHTLY. LINGER MVFR
CIGS AND WIND GUSTS INTO SUNDAY NIGHT.
OUTLOOK...MVFR CIGS AND MVFR/IFR VSBYS ARE POSSIBLE MONDAY NIGHT
INTO TUESDAY.
&&
.ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO 11 AM EST THIS MORNING
FOR OHZ026-034-035-042>045-051>053-060>062-070>072-077-
078.
KY...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO 11 AM EST THIS MORNING
FOR KYZ089>095.
IN...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO 11 AM EST THIS MORNING
FOR INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080.
&&
SYNOPSIS...HATZOS/SITES
NEAR TERM...SITES
SHORT TERM...HATZOS
LONG TERM...HICKMAN
AVIATION...NOVAKHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 935 PM EST SAT JAN 9 2016 INZ050-058-059-066-OHZ026-034-035-042>045-051>053-060>062-110245- WAYNE-FAYETTE-UNION-FRANKLIN-HARDIN-MERCER-AUGLAIZE-DARKE-SHELBY- LOGAN-MIAMI-CHAMPAIGN-CLARK-PREBLE-MONTGOMERY-GREENE- 935 PM EST SAT JAN 9 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 11 AM EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INDIANA...CENTRAL OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. WIND CHILLS EARLY MONDAY MORNING WILL RANGE FROM ZERO TO FIVE BELOW ZERO. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SNOW...HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY MORNING. THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND COLD TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO WIND CHILLS AROUND TEN DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. OHZ046-054>056-110245- DELAWARE-MADISON-FRANKLIN-LICKING- 935 PM EST SAT JAN 9 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND AN INCH ARE EXPECTED ON SUNDAY MORNING. WIND CHILLS EARLY MONDAY MORNING WILL RANGE FROM ZERO TO FIVE BELOW ZERO. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE. WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SNOW...HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY MORNING. THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND COLD TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO WIND CHILLS AROUND TEN DEGREES BELOW ZERO ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. INZ073>075-080-KYZ089>095-OHZ070>072-077-078-110245- RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON- CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-HAMILTON-CLERMONT- 935 PM EST SAT JAN 9 2016 ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM TO 11 AM EST SUNDAY... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INDIANA...NORTHERN KENTUCKY AND SOUTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...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...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE. WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SNOW...HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY MORNING. THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND COLD TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO WIND CHILLS AROUND ZERO TO FIVE BELOW ZERO ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. KYZ096>100-OHZ063>065-073-074-079>082-088-110245- PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-FAYETTE-PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD- ROSS-HOCKING-BROWN-HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO- 935 PM EST SAT JAN 9 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO AND SOUTHWEST OHIO. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT. HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF AROUND AN INCH WILL BE POSSIBLE. WITH GUSTY WINDS AND SNOW...HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON TUESDAY MORNING. THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND COLD TEMPERATURES WILL LEAD TO WIND CHILLS AROUND ZERO TO FIVE BELOW ZERO ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SNOW AND ICE ACCUMULATIONS TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The CVG international airport measured 2 inches of snow. A spotter in Union measured an inch.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Kentucky in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Kentucky, January 2016
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 615734.