Ohio, 2019

Extreme Cold in Ohio, January 30 to 31, 2019

January 30 to 31, 2019 · NWS PBZ · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Extreme cold arctic air surged into the northeast region January 30th. 500mb heights were close to 5040 meters, 850mb temperatures ranged from -26 to -30 degrees Celsius, and 925mb temperatures were near -22 to -26 degrees Celsius.

Where it happened

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.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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.

Extreme cold arctic air surged into the northeast region January 30th. 500mb heights were close to 5040 meters, 850mb temperatures ranged from -26 to -30 degrees Celsius, and 925mb temperatures were near -22 to -26 degrees Celsius. With the quick drop in temperature in the boundary layer, a steep low level lapse rate was created near the surface. Due to this steep lapse rate, winds near 850mb to 925mb (averaging 20kts) were capable of reaching the surface and created wind chill temperatures of -22F and lower.

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 Jan 29, 6:20 PM EST, 10 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 29, 6:20 PM EST, 10 hours 40 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 29, 9:22 AM EST, 19 hours 38 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Columbiana

When
January 30, 5:00 AM EST to January 31, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Columbiana forecast zone
Reported by
AWSS
Coordinates
40.768, -80.777 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A wind chill of -30.0 F was measured near Hanoverton, OH on Jan 30th.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Guernsey

When
January 30, 5:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
Guernsey forecast zone
Reported by
AWSS
Coordinates
40.052, -81.494 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A wind chill of -29.0 F was measured near Cambridge, OH on the Jan 30th.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Muskingum

When
January 30, 5:00 AM EST to January 31, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Muskingum forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
39.965, -81.944 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A wind chill of -27.0 F was measured at Zanesville Airport on Jan 30th.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Tuscarawas

When
January 30, 5:00 AM EST to January 31, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Tuscarawas forecast zone
Reported by
AWSS
Coordinates
40.441, -81.474 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A wind chill of -29.0 F was measured at Port Washington, OH on Jan 30th.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Coshocton

When
January 30, 5:00 AM EST to 5:00 PM EST
Where
Coshocton forecast zone
Reported by
Unknown
Coordinates
40.302, -81.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The surrounding areas had -27F to -29F wind chills.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Carroll

When
January 30, 5:00 AM EST to January 31, 5:00 PM EST
Where
Carroll forecast zone
Reported by
Unknown
Coordinates
40.580, -81.090 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The surrounding areas had -27F to -29F wind chills.

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Ohio in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, January 2019

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: 802161, 802162, 802164, 802165, 802665, 802667.