Heavy Snow in Ohio, February 15 to 16, 2016

Name: Heavy Snow in Ohio, February 15 to 16, 2016
Start: 2016-02-15T20:00
End: 2016-02-16T13:00
Location: Ohio

February 15 to 16, 2016 · NWS PBZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Where it happened

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.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PBZ wrote it up.

Low pressure moved north through the Upper Ohio Valley the night of the 15th into the morning of the 17th. A swath of heavy snow fell in a band from Columbiana county in Ohio to Forest county on Pennsylvania, with a general 6 to 12 inches of snow. A lesser band of snow from 2 to 4 inches fell south and west across eastern Ohio from New Philadelphia to Zanesville. Elsewhere freezing rain was dominate across the rest of western Pennsylvania into the ridges of northern West Virgina, and Garrett county Maryland. Significant ice accumulation over one quarter of an inch occurred in Clarion and Jefferson counties in Pennsylvania, with lesser amounts elsewhere.

What forecasters said that day

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 Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 15, 7:41 PM EST, 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 15, 7:41 PM EST, 19 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
741 PM EST MON FEB 15 2016

.SYNOPSIS...
LOW PRESSURE WILL SPREAD A MIX OF WINTRY PRECIPITATION OVER THE
UPPER OHIO REGION TONIGHT.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TUESDAY/...
QUICK UPDT TO EXPAND ADVY S WHERE FREEZING RAIN IS BEING
RPTD WITH COLD SFC TEMPS...THOUGH AIR TEMPS ARE IN THE LOW TO MID
30S. PREVIOUS...SURFACE LOW WILL DVLP ALONG OR JUST WEST OF THE
APPALACHIANS TONIGHT...WITH THE 850 MB LOW PROJECTED ACRS THE
PITTSBURGH AREA. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH FOR A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF
PRECIPITATION OVERNIGHT SUPPORTED BY MOIST FRONTOGENESIS RESULTING
FROM A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET. THE PROBLEM OF THE NIGHT IS IN THE
TEMP PROFILE...AND THUS PRECIP TYPES AS THAT JET WL CONT TO PUMP
WARM AIR NORTHWARD THROUGH THE NGT.

THE AFOREMENTIONED VARIABLES ARE LIKELY TO CREATE A TIGHT
RAIN/MIX/SNOW GRADIENT OVR THE NORTHWESTERN PA/OH BORDER...AND
THESE AREAS HAVE A CONTINUED WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SNOWFALL OR
PROLONGED FREEZING RAIN.

ELSEWHERE...FREEZING RAIN WL BE THE MAIN PROBLEM AND ADVISORY FOR
A LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION WITH TRANSITION TO FREEZING RAIN HAS
BEEN MAINTAINED. ONE OTHER CAVEAT...DESPITE WARMING BOUNDARY LAYER
TEMPS...SURFACE SKIN TEMPS ARE LIKELY TO RMN BELOW FREEZING AFTER
THE RECENT ARCTIC SURGE. FREEZING RAIN IS THUS LIKELY FOR THE
MARGINAL AREA UNTIL LATENT HEATING OFFSETS AFTER A FEW HOURS. ALL
PCPN SHOULD CHG TO SNOW SHOWERS BY TUE AFTN IN COLD ADVECTION
AS THE SURFACE LOW EXITS.

&&

.SHORT TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT/...
BROAD UPR TROFG SHOULD PERSIST ACRS THE AREA THRU MID WEEK. A
SHORTWAVE ADVANCING THRU THE TROF...AND A WEAKENING SFC LOW IS
EXPD TO CROSS THE TN/LWR OH VLY LT TUE NGT WITH LOW CHCS FOR SNOW
S OF THE PA BORDER. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE/COLD FRONT IS PROGGED TO
CROSS THE GT LAKES/UPR OH VLY...RETURNING CHCS FOR SNOW SHOWERS
THOUGH ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LIGHT. SUFACE HIGH PRESSURE IS EXPD
TO BUILD IN WED NGT.

&&

.LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...
RIDGING ALOFT WILL BRING A WARM UP FOR THE WEEKS END. NEXT SYSTEM
TO IMPACT OUR REGION WILL BE A LOW PASSING WELL TO OUR NORTH THIS
WEEKEND. A COLD FRONT WILL BRING PRECIPITATION BACK IN...BUT THE WARM
TEMPERATURES SHOULD KEEP IT ALL AS RAIN. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOVE
AVERAGE THIS WEEKEND.

&&

.AVIATION /01Z TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
WIDESPREAD RESTRICTIONS WITH IFR IN RAIN...FREEZING RAIN...AND
SNOW CAN BE EXPECTED FOR THE TAF PERIOD AS LOW PRES CROSSES THE
REGION.

IMPROVEMENT TO MVFR CAN BE EXPECTED LATER TUESDAY AS THE LOW LIFTS
NORTHEASTWARD AND VEERS WIND THE NORTHWEST.

.OUTLOOK.../TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
RESTRICTIONS ARE LIKELY FOR WEDNESDAY AS ANOTHER LOW PRES AREA
TRAVERSES THE REGION.

&&

.PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
MD...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST TUESDAY FOR MDZ001.
OH...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY FOR OHZ039-040-
     048>050-057>059-068-069.
     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 PM EST TUESDAY FOR OHZ041.
PA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY FOR PAZ020-021-
     029-031-073-075.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST TUESDAY FOR PAZ014>016-
     022-023-074-076.
     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 PM EST TUESDAY FOR PAZ007>009-013.
WV...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY FOR WVZ001>004.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM EST TUESDAY FOR WVZ510>514.

&&

Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 15, 7:45 PM EST, 15 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
745 PM EST MON FEB 15 2016

OHZ041-PAZ007>009-013-170045-
COLUMBIANA-MERCER-VENANGO-FOREST-LAWRENCE-
745 PM EST MON FEB 15 2016

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST TUESDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHWEST
PENNSYLVANIA AND WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

.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 STORM WARNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER STORM WARNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

MDZ001-PAZ014>016-022-023-074-076-WVZ510>514-170045-
GARRETT-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-
WESTMORELAND RIDGES-FAYETTE RIDGES-
RIDGES OF EASTERN MONONGALIA AND NORTHWESTERN PRESTON-PRESTON-
EASTERN PRESTON-WESTERN TUCKER-EASTERN TUCKER-
745 PM EST MON FEB 15 2016

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST TUESDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...SOUTHWEST
PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

.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...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

OHZ039-040-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ020-021-029-031-073-075-
WVZ001>004-170045-
TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COSHOCTON-HARRISON-JEFFERSON OH-MUSKINGUM-
GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-BEAVER-ALLEGHENY-WASHINGTON-GREENE-
WESTMORELAND-FAYETTE-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO-MARSHALL-
745 PM EST MON FEB 15 2016

...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 7 AM EST TUESDAY...

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST
PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA.

.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...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

WVZ012-021-509-170045-
WETZEL-MARION-MONONGALIA-
745 PM EST MON FEB 15 2016

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND
NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

07

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 15, 7:16 PM EST, 44 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
716 PM EST MON FEB 15 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0634 PM     FREEZING RAIN    PITTSBURGH              40.44N  79.98W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   911 CALL CENTER

            NUMEROUS MINOR VEHICLE CRASHES THROUGH OUT THE COUNTY
            DUE TO ICE COVERED ROADWAYS.

0637 PM     FREEZING RAIN    PITTSBURGH              40.44N  79.98W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   911 CALL CENTER

            CREEDMORE AT MCNEILLY STREETS ARE CLOSED DUE TO A SHEET
            OF ICE. AT LEAST 3 VEHICLES OVERTURNED.

0652 PM     FREEZING RAIN    WEXFORD                 40.63N  80.05W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   NWS EMPLOYEE

0652 PM     FREEZING RAIN    PITTSBURGH              40.44N  79.98W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   911 CALL CENTER

            VERONA ROAD CLOSED DUE TO CARS PILING UP OR SLIDING
            DOWN THE HILL BECAUSE OF ICE. NO INJURIES.

0655 PM     FREEZING RAIN    VERONA                  40.51N  79.84W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   911 CALL CENTER

            CHILD STRUCK BY VEHICLE THEN VEHICLE SLID ON ICE
            COVERED ROAD. MINOR INJURY

0700 PM     FREEZING RAIN    GROVE CITY              41.16N  80.09W
02/15/2016  M0.00 INCH       MERCER             PA   CO-OP OBSERVER

            FOR ONE HOUR

0700 PM     FREEZING RAIN    MOON TOWNSHIP           40.53N  80.22W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   NWS OFFICE

0702 PM     FREEZING RAIN    MCKEESPORT              40.34N  79.84W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   911 CALL CENTER

            BROWNLEE AVE/CRAWFORD VILLAGE HAS MULTIPLE VEHICLE
            ACCIDENT AND REPORT OF A PEDESTRIAN STRUCK.

0706 PM     FREEZING RAIN    PITTSBURGH              40.44N  79.98W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   911 CALL CENTER

            WALKERS MILL ROAD/HILLTOP ROAD IN COLLIER TOWNSHIP HAS
            A VEHICLE ROLLED OVER. DRIVER PINNED IN THE VEHICLE

0708 PM     FREEZING RAIN    NORTH VERSAILLES        40.38N  79.81W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   911 CALL CENTER

            283 PALMA WAY IN NORTH VERSAILIES BOROUGH HAS VEHICLE
            ROLLED OVER. DIVER IS OUT WITH MINOR INJURY.

&&

EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601003
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601004
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601005
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601006
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601007
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601008
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601009
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601010
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601011
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601012

24

Local storm report, Feb 15, 7:22 PM EST, 38 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
722 PM EST MON FEB 15 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0714 PM     FREEZING RAIN    PITTSBURGH              40.44N  79.98W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   911 CALL CENTER

            1700 ORDINANCE AVE HAS A VEHICLE INTO A PORCH OF
            RESIDENCE WITH STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. NO INJURIES

0714 PM     FREEZING RAIN    PITTSBURGH              40.44N  79.98W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       ALLEGHENY          PA   911 CALL CENTER

            BEATTY SQUARE AND CENTRE AVE HAS A PEDESTRIAN STRUCK BY
            A VEHICLE DUE TO ICE ROADS. UNKNOWN INJURY AT THIS TIME.

&&

EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601013
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601014

24

Local storm report, Feb 15, 7:36 PM EST, 24 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
736 PM EST MON FEB 15 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0710 PM     FREEZING RAIN    AMBRIDGE                40.59N  80.23W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       BEAVER             PA   SOCIAL MEDIA

0710 PM     FREEZING RAIN    LOWER BURRELL           40.58N  79.71W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       WESTMORELAND       PA   SOCIAL MEDIA

0731 PM     FREEZING RAIN    SARVER                  40.73N  79.73W
02/15/2016  E0.00 INCH       BUTLER             PA   SOCIAL MEDIA

            ROADS SLIGHLY COVERED IN ICE

&&

EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601015
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601016
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1601017

24

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Columbiana

When: February 15, 8:00 PM EST to February 16, 1:00 PM EST
Where: Columbiana forecast zone
Reported by: CoCoRaHS
Coordinates: 40.768, -80.777 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Ohio in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history Warnings in Ohio, February 2016

Sources

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: 613641.