A quick shot of snow brought some light accumulations to the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 quick shot of snow brought some light accumulations 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 Dec 29, 9:12 PM EST, 2 hours 48 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Wilmington OH 912 PM EST Thu Dec 29 2016 .SYNOPSIS... An upper level trough will move east through the Great Lakes tonight, bringing snow showers and snow squalls to the region this evening. Snow showers will diminish on Friday, as high pressure builds into the southeast states, extending northward into the Ohio Valley. A series of low pressure systems will move northeast through the region from Saturday through Monday, bringing additional chances for precipitation. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/... With initial batch of snow showers east, and shallower moisture arriving, have reduced pops and intensity of snow showers through tonight. Added flurries that will fall from a shallow moist and unstable layer between about 2500 to 5000 feet agl. Previous discussion: The middle Ohio Valley is currently located in a regime of deep- layer WNW flow. While there is evidence of a weak surface trough, along an axis from roughly Port Huron MI to Springfield IL, this trough is not well defined -- just a slight 20-30 degree wind shift and little change in boundary layer air mass. There is also very little going on at 500mb and above, with the upper jet curving well south of the region, and no real indication of notable forcing further aloft. The features to monitor are located in between, showing up nicely on recent RAP13 runs. A compact shortwave at 700mb is currently moving through northern Illinois, and will move WSW across Indiana and Ohio over the next few hours. As this occurs, there will be a rapid cooling/moistening of the 850mb-700mb layer, which will have a pronounced effect on weather conditions over the region -- a significant deepening of the boundary layer. The clear skies observed over much of the forecast area this afternoon will be quickly replaced by thick convective stratocumulus in a very-well- mixed near-surface environment. The genesis region for this change in atmospheric conditions is presently over NE Illinois, as evidenced by the curved band of clouds on visible satellite and the developing 20-30 dBZ echoes between Chicago and Springfield -- and, to note, not the unidentified non-meteorological echoes over southern Indiana. Recent HRRR runs / 12Z WRF-NMM / 12Z SPC-WRF runs suggest that a broken band of snow squalls will cross the ILN forecast area from WNW to ESE between 21Z and 02Z, with continued scattered snow shower activity following behind. Current observations suggest this may be a little too fast, maybe by an hour or so. As this activity crosses through the area, the mixed layer will extend far enough aloft to support wind gusts in the 30-35 knot range, with steepening lapse rates that will allow for convective instability through about 8kft AGL / 700mb. This instability will overlap the dendritic growth zone with increasing relative humidity within the -12C to -18C layer, resulting in efficient snow production for what should be a relatively brief period of time. Across multiple model datasets as viewed in BUFKIT, values for these parameters -- such as low-level lapse rates, wind speeds, SBCAPE, and DGZ depth/RH -- fit nicely within WFO ILN (Kurz/Haines) research from verified snow squall cases. To no surprise, this is also indicated on the WFO BTV snow squall parameter (Banacos/Loconto/Devoir). Despite this, there are a few factors that might keep this from being one of the truly high-impact snow squall events -- the lack of a classic arctic front to focus low-level convergence, relatively un-hazardous (warm) antecedent conditions, and the lack of upper support (shortwave or PV anomaly) to increase lift. The ultimate expectation is that most of the CWA will be impacted by the initial broken band of snow showers / snow squalls, some of which may become strong enough to support hazards of rapid accumulations and loss of visibility. Once the initial band has passed, RH in the dendritic growth zone decreases significantly with southwestward extent, and continued snow shower activity will be much more likely further to the northeast (especially along and north of a rough line from Richmond IN to Chillicothe OH). Forecasting accumulations for this sort of scenario is difficult, as some locations impacted by the squalls or repeated snow showers could quickly pick up a half inch (possibly up near an inch) while other locations (especially in the southwestern sections of the CWA) may receive little to no accumulation. An overall diminishing trend in snow shower coverage and wind gust intensity is expected after 06Z, with continued cold advection heading into Friday morning, and lows in the middle to upper 20s. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT/... A few persisting snow showers or flurries may occur on Friday morning in central Ohio, but overall, conditions are expected to dry significantly -- with clearing skies from west to east over the course of the afternoon, with rising heights. Some wind gusts of 20-25 MPH may continue through the day. A switch to warm advection will allow temperatures to slowly rise on Friday night into Saturday morning, ahead of the next low pressure system moving through the Great Lakes. With a southern stream of moisture helping to develop precipitation across the area, a mix of rain and snow is expected to develop -- favoring rain in the ILN CWA on Saturday afternoon, but perhaps switching back to snow again as temperatures cool Saturday evening. Though a cold front will be moving southeast into the area, it will eventually stall on Saturday night and fail to make it south into Kentucky. && .LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... A weak cold front will move south/southeast through the area early Sunday morning. Models have hinted at some moisture/light precipitation lingering along/south of the Ohio River behind the front Sunday morning. This may allow for a few light rain/snow showers in southern parts of the FA during the morning hours before sufficient surface warming changes all/any precipitation to rain. As the frontal boundary stalls just south of the FA during the day Sunday, overrunning moisture is expected to work back northward as the front begins to pivot back north into the Ohio Valley by Sunday night into Monday. Although some of the details still differ slightly, global models have come into better agreement regarding strength/amplitude and timing of a S/W which will move from western Texas early Monday into the Ohio Valley Tuesday morning. At the surface, a strengthening low pressure system in the central Plains will push toward the Ohio Valley, and as such, expect that temperatures will trend well above normal Monday even as WAA-induced scattered showers linger in the FA. Have maintained likely PoPs Monday evening into early Tuesday as the system moves through the region. Colder air will begin to slowly build back into the area late Tuesday into Wednesday as a cold front moves through and the upper level trough continues to dig southward into the upper Midwest and Great Lakes region. Temperatures may even trend below normal towards the end of the period as the CAA regime persists in the Ohio Valley. && .AVIATION /02Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... Snow showers associated with a mid level short wave and low level cold advection will impact TAF sites tonight. Main effects will be at DAY CMH LCK and ILN where MVFR is expected, with lesser impact at CVG and LUK which will probably stay VFR. All sites should become VFR by Friday morning as drier air moves in amid decreasing short wave energy. West winds will be quite strong, with gusts near 40 knots to start, subsiding somewhat Friday while gusts remain over 20 knots. OUTLOOK...MVFR ceilings and visibilities are possible Saturday afternoon into Monday. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...None. KY...None. IN...None. && SYNOPSIS...Hatzos NEAR TERM...Coniglio/Hatzos SHORT TERM...Hatzos LONG TERM...KC AVIATION...Coniglio
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH 336 AM EST THU DEC 29 2016 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-300845- 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- 336 AM EST THU DEC 29 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHEAST INDIANA...NORTHEAST KENTUCKY...NORTHERN KENTUCKY...CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST OHIO AND WEST CENTRAL OHIO. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. WINDS WILL PICK UP THIS EVENING WITH SOME WIND GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH POSSIBLE. SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ARE ALSO EXPECTED. THE COMBINATION OF THE SNOW SHOWER ACTIVITY AND GUSTY WINDS WILL LEAD TO THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME SNOW SQUALLS WITH GREATLY REDUCED VISIBILITIES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
748 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0545 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 5 ENE BLUE ASH 39.27N 84.28W
12/29/2016 HAMILTON OH BROADCAST MEDIA
LARGE DEAD TREE DOWN. APPROXIMATE 3 FT BASE FROM PHOTO.
&&
JGIBSONSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
928 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
KYZ091>093-OHZ077-078-300300-
Campbell KY-Boone KY-Kenton KY-Hamilton OH-Clermont OH-
928 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
...A SNOW SQUALL WILL AFFECT Kenton...Campbell...northern Boone...
southern Clermont and southern Hamilton Counties Until 1000 PM EST...
At 927 PM EST, radar indicated a snow squall near Villa Hills, moving
east at 45 mph.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
Winds to 30 mph...
Locations impacted include...
Cincinnati, Covington, Florence, Independence, Erlanger, Fort Thomas,
Newport, Edgewood, Alexandria, Elsmere, Fort Mitchell, Villa Hills,
Highland Heights, Taylor Mill, Bellevue, Fort Wright, Ludlow,
Southgate, Crescent Springs and Crestview Hills.
This includes the following Interstates...
I-71 in Ohio between mile markers 0 and 1.
I-75 in Kentucky between mile markers 176 and 191.
I-75 in Ohio between mile markers 0 and 1.
Use extra caution if you must travel into or through this snow
squall. Rapid changes in visibility and potentially slick roads are
likely to lead to accidents. Consider delaying travel until the
squall passes your location.
To report hazardous weather conditions, go to our website at
weather.gov/iln and submit your report via social media, when you can
do so safely.
LAT...LON 3880 8420 3883 8423 3887 8423 3882 8436
3897 8478 3915 8469 3901 8406 3880 8417
TIME...MOT...LOC 0227Z 290DEG 40KT 3904 8465
&&
ODOT DMS 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 426, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 437,
438, 445, and 446.
ConiglioSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
957 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
KYZ090>093-095>098-OHZ077>079-300330-
Campbell KY-Pendleton KY-Bracken KY-Boone KY-Grant KY-Kenton KY-
Robertson KY-Gallatin KY-Hamilton OH-Clermont OH-Brown OH-
957 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
...A SNOW SQUALL WILL AFFECT Kenton...northeastern Grant...eastern
Gallatin...Pendleton...Bracken...Campbell...Boone...Robertson...
southern Clermont...southeastern Hamilton and southwestern Brown
Counties Until 1030 PM EST...
At 957 PM EST, radar indicated a snow squall over Walton, moving east
at 55 mph.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
Winds to 30 mph...
Locations impacted include...
Cincinnati, Covington, Florence, Independence, Erlanger, Fort Thomas,
Newport, Edgewood, Alexandria, Elsmere, Fort Mitchell, Villa Hills,
Highland Heights, Taylor Mill, Bellevue, Fort Wright, Ludlow,
Georgetown, Southgate and Crescent Springs.
This includes the following Interstates...
I-71 in Kentucky between mile markers 70 and 77.
I-71 in Ohio between mile markers 0 and 1.
I-75 in Kentucky between mile markers 164 and 191.
I-75 in Ohio between mile markers 0 and 1.
Use extra caution if you must travel into or through this snow
squall. Rapid changes in visibility and potentially slick roads are
likely to lead to accidents. Consider delaying travel until the
squall passes your location.
To report hazardous weather conditions, go to our website at
weather.gov/iln and submit your report via social media, when you can
do so safely.
LAT...LON 3885 8481 3888 8478 3889 8481 3913 8466
3897 8384 3852 8407
TIME...MOT...LOC 0257Z 290DEG 49KT 3890 8459
&&
ODOT DMS 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 426, 432, 433, 434, 435, 436, 437,
438, and 445.
ConiglioSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
959 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
KYZ097>100-OHZ079-081-088-300330-
Bracken KY-Mason KY-Lewis KY-Robertson KY-Scioto OH-Adams OH-
Brown OH-
959 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
...A SNOW SQUALL WILL AFFECT Lewis...Mason...southeastern Bracken...
Robertson...southwestern Scioto...Adams and southeastern Brown
Counties Until 1030 PM EST...
At 959 PM EST, radar indicated a snow squall over Ripley, moving east
at 55 mph.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
Winds to 30 mph...
Locations impacted include...
Portsmouth, Maysville, Georgetown, Washington, West Union, New
Boston, Manchester, Ripley, Aberdeen, Vanceburg, Winchester,
Lewisburg, Camp Dix, Tollesboro, Rosemount, Rome, Head of Grassy,
Clarktown, Blue Creek and Decatur.
Use extra caution if you must travel into or through this snow
squall. Rapid changes in visibility and potentially slick roads are
likely to lead to accidents. Consider delaying travel until the
squall passes your location.
To report hazardous weather conditions, go to our website at
weather.gov/iln and submit your report via social media, when you can
do so safely.
LAT...LON 3832 8336 3840 8341 3838 8345 3840 8348
3843 8358 3848 8359 3851 8361 3851 8363
3852 8363 3847 8383 3854 8405 3895 8384
3884 8288 3876 8289 3873 8303 3868 8303
3862 8308 3860 8307 3843 8324 3833 8324
TIME...MOT...LOC 0259Z 290DEG 49KT 3875 8383
&&
ConiglioSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
1032 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
KYZ093-096>100-OHZ078-079-081-088-300400-
Campbell KY-Pendleton KY-Bracken KY-Mason KY-Lewis KY-Robertson KY-
Scioto OH-Clermont OH-Adams OH-Brown OH-
1032 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
...BRIEF SNOW SQUALLS WILL AFFECT Lewis...eastern
Pendleton...Mason... Bracken...southern
Campbell...Robertson...southern Scioto...southern
Clermont...southern Adams and southern Brown Counties Until 1100 PM
EST...
At 1030 PM EST, radar indicated snow squalls near Neville, moving
east at 55 mph.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
Winds to 30 mph...
Locations impacted include...
Portsmouth, Maysville, Georgetown, Falmouth, Wheelersburg,
Washington, West Union, New Boston, Manchester, Ripley, Aberdeen,
Vanceburg, Augusta, Felicity, Lewisburg, Brooksville, Butler, Camp
Dix, Foxport and Tollesboro.
Use extra caution if you must travel into or through this snow
squall. Rapid changes in visibility and potentially slick roads are
likely to lead to accidents. Consider delaying travel until the
squall passes your location.
To report hazardous weather conditions, go to our website at
weather.gov/iln and submit your report via social media, when you can
do so safely.
LAT...LON 3840 8341 3843 8358 3852 8363 3846 8386
3849 8393 3842 8400 3858 8421 3866 8444
3891 8432 3878 8266 3868 8271 3868 8276
3860 8274 3857 8281 3876 8289 3873 8303
3859 8307 3843 8324 3834 8323 3832 8333
TIME...MOT...LOC 0330Z 290DEG 48KT 3880 8426
&&
ConiglioSpecial Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
1112 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
KYZ097>100-OHZ079-081-088-300445-
Bracken KY-Mason KY-Lewis KY-Robertson KY-Scioto OH-Adams OH-
Brown OH-
1112 PM EST THU DEC 29 2016
...A SNOW SQUALL WILL AFFECT Lewis...Mason...Bracken...Robertson...
southwestern Scioto...southern Adams and southeastern Brown Counties
Until 1145 PM EST...
At 1110 PM EST, radar indicated a snow squall near Washington, moving
southeast at 40 mph.
HAZARDS INCLUDE...
Visibility rapidly dropping to less than a quarter of a mile...
Locations impacted include...
Portsmouth, Maysville, Washington, Manchester, Ripley, Aberdeen,
Vanceburg, Augusta, Lewisburg, Brooksville, Camp Dix, Tollesboro,
Rome, Head of Grassy, Mount Olivet, Dover, Germantown, Sardis,
Concord and Alhambra.
Use extra caution if you must travel into or through this snow
squall. Rapid changes in visibility and potentially slick roads are
likely to lead to accidents. Consider delaying travel until the
squall passes your location.
To report hazardous weather conditions, go to our website at
weather.gov/iln and submit your report via social media, when you can
do so safely.
LAT...LON 3840 8341 3838 8345 3843 8358 3848 8359
3851 8363 3852 8363 3846 8386 3849 8393
3845 8398 3849 8416 3877 8416 3873 8298
3872 8303 3868 8303 3863 8307 3859 8307
3849 8319 3843 8324 3834 8323 3832 8334
TIME...MOT...LOC 0410Z 299DEG 34KT 3862 8394
&&
SitesThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
The observer west of Fayetteville measured a half inch of snow.
The observer located 6 miles east-southeast of Sunbury measured an inch of snow, while another observer near Lewis Center measured 0.8 inches.
The observer located west of Cheviot measured 0.6 inches of snow.
The observer located 6 miles southwest of Lynchburg measured a half inch of snow.
The observer located 4 miles north of Granville measured 1.4 inches of snow.
The observer located north of Maineville measured 0.8 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, December 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 671162, 671163, 671164, 671165, 671166, 671167.