Indiana, 2020

Winter Weather in Indiana, February 28, 2020

February 28, 2020 · NWS ILN · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A surface boundary combined with a fast moving upper level wave of energy brought accumulating snow to the region.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
3

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 ILN wrote it up.

A surface boundary combined with a fast moving upper level wave of energy brought accumulating snow to the region.

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 Wilmington, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 27, 9:32 PM EST, 2 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 9:32 PM EST, 2 hours 28 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
932 PM EST Thu Feb 27 2020

.SYNOPSIS...
Several upper level disturbances will move across the region
through Friday keeping off and on precipitation chances in the
forecast. Dry conditions are expected for the weekend before an
unsettled and wet pattern develops for next week.

&&

.NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY MORNING/...
Snow showers have developed roughly near I-70 and are currently
affecting travel with light snow accumulations and lowered
visibilities. Have issued special weather statements covering
hazards of slick roads and reduced visibilities. Expect snow to
dwindle after midnight as forcing near a weak surface trough
translates to the southeast.

Winds will be gusty through the evening hours. During the
overnight hours there will still be some wind gusts, however
expect them to be more isolated in nature. With the combination
of falling temperatures and winds, wind chill values will drop
into the single digits across a large portion of the region.

&&

.SHORT TERM /6 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
The one wave of snow will be moving out at the start of the
short term, however additional snow showers will be possible
near and south of the Ohio River later in the day on Friday
into the first part of Friday night as another disturbance moves
through. Minor snowfall accumulations will be possible. In
addition cannot rule out some light snow showers or flurries
across the northern portions of the forecast area with winds off
of the lake.

Friday night expect another cold night with wind chill values in
the single digits expected once again.

&&

.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
Northwest flow aloft with surface high pressure building across the
area Saturday. This high will offer dry weather and continued colder
than normal temperatures. Saturday's highs to range from near 30
northeast to near 40 southwest.

Long wave trof shifts east with mid level ridging/height rises
building into the region Sunday. This will provide a moderation of
temperatures. Readings look to warm above normal with Sunday's fcst
highs from 50 north to the upper 50s south.

Model solutions fairly consistent with mid level flow backing
westerly and embedded s/w and WAA leading to a chance of pcpn late
Sunday night into Monday. Warm temperatures with highs Monday in the
mid and upper 50s.

Rain chances increase as flow backs southwesterly and slow moving
surface front pushes into the area Tuesday. Favorable moisture
transport develops, with the potential for a prolonged period of
rain - pointing to a signal for heavy rain.

Considerable model solution spread continues to be observed
regarding the details of where the heavy rain sets up. Deterministic
model runs have trended south with the heaviest rain axis. At this
time the most favored region looks to be over ILN/s southern
counties, but a fair amount of uncertainty exists regarding the
exact placement of this heavy rain axis.

On the warm side of the system, expect Tuesday and Wednesday's highs
from the lower 50s northwest to the lower 60s southeast.

A general drying trend next Thursday with surface low and frontal
boundary shifting to the east. Temperatures to trend closer to
normal with highs from the lower 40s northwest to near 50
southeast.

&&

.AVIATION /03Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
Looks like more light snow with MVFR conditions tonight as a
weak trough of low pressure travels from the west. Latest models
suggest a band of light snow developing near Dayton, then moving
southward to affect all TAF sites. Ceilings and visibilities
will improve early Friday while snow ends as drier air filters
in behind the trough. Winds will subside to around 10 knots
overnight out of the west, with speeds rising again on Friday,
with gusts to 25 knots possible at northern sites DAY ILN CMH
and LCK.

OUTLOOK...MVFR conditions possible Monday.

&&

.ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...None.
KY...None.
IN...None.

&&

SYNOPSIS...Novak
NEAR TERM...Coniglio/Novak
SHORT TERM...Novak
LONG TERM...AR
AVIATION...Coniglio
Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 27, 9:28 PM EST, 2 hours 32 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
928 PM EST Thu Feb 27 2020

INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046-
051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-290230-
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-
928 PM EST Thu Feb 27 2020

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for East Central Indiana,
Southeast Indiana, Northeast Kentucky, Northern Kentucky, Central
Ohio, South Central Ohio, Southwest Ohio and West Central Ohio.

.DAY ONE...Tonight.

Quick moving narrow bands of snow will move through overnight. While
amounts are generally expected to be around an inch or less, the
quick accumulation rate and cool pavement temperatures could lead to
slick spots on area roadways.

.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.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Feb 27, 11:30 PM EST, 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
1130 PM EST THU FEB 27 2020

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

1115 PM     SNOW             3 WNW KETTERING         39.71N  84.20W
02/27/2020  M1.6 INCH        MONTGOMERY         OH   SOCIAL MEDIA

&&

EVENT NUMBER ILN2000414

CH
Special weather statement, Feb 27, 11:30 PM EST, 30 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Wilmington OH
1130 PM EST Thu Feb 27 2020

INZ058-059-066-OHZ060>065-070>074-080-280530-
Fayette IN-Franklin IN-Union IN-Highland OH-Fairfield OH-
Montgomery OH-Ross OH-Warren OH-Butler OH-Pickaway OH-Greene OH-
Fayette OH-Clinton OH-Preble OH-Hocking OH-
1130 PM EST Thu Feb 27 2020

...A LINE OF SNOW SHOWERS WILL AFFECT SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY IN EAST
CENTRAL INDIANA...FRANKLIN COUNTY IN SOUTHEASTERN INDIANA...SOUTHERN
FAYETTE COUNTY IN EAST CENTRAL INDIANA...SOUTHERN PREBLE COUNTY IN
WEST CENTRAL OHIO...BUTLER COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN OHIO...SOUTHERN
FAIRFIELD...FAYETTE...HOCKING AND PICKAWAY COUNTIES IN CENTRAL
OHIO...ROSS...WARREN AND CLINTON COUNTIES IN SOUTHWESTERN OHIO...
SOUTHERN GREENE COUNTY IN WEST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN HIGHLAND
COUNTY IN SOUTHWESTERN OHIO AND SOUTHERN MONTGOMERY COUNTIES IN WEST
CENTRAL OHIO UNTIL 1230 AM EST...

At 1127 PM EST, radar indicated snow showers along a line extending
from 7 miles south of Connersville to near Mount Sterling, moving
east at 30 mph.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
Quickly changing visibility...
1 to 2 inches of snow accumulation...

Locations impacted include...
Hamilton, Kettering, Middletown, Beavercreek, Fairfield, Lancaster,
Mason, Xenia, Chillicothe, Oxford, Miamisburg, Lebanon, Forest Park,
Springboro, Washington Court House, Sharonville, Circleville,
Wilmington, Monroe and Loveland.

This includes the following Interstates...
 I-71 in Ohio between mile markers 19 and 76.
 I-74 in Indiana between mile markers 145 and 152.
 I-75 in Ohio between mile markers 17 and 47.

Exercise caution while traveling as driving conditions may change
quickly.

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 3947 8217 3947 8228 3938 8229 3937 8275
      3917 8277 3918 8337 3931 8461 3928 8530
      3960 8530 3973 8365 3969 8325 3976 8325
      3977 8314 3970 8237 3960 8238 3954 8216
TIME...MOT...LOC 0427Z 274DEG 24KT 3955 8515 3971 8319

McGinnis
Local storm report, Feb 27, 11:34 PM EST, 26 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

3 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, Wayne

When
February 28, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
39.864, -85.010 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Two inches of snow was measured in Centerville.

Winter Weather, Ripley

When
February 28, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Ripley forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.104, -85.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer near Batesville measured 0.6 inches of snow, while the observer northeast of Osgood measured a half inch.

Winter Weather, Dearborn

When
February 28, 12:00 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where
Dearborn forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.145, -84.973 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer north of Bright and the observer 6 miles south-southeast of Moores Hill both measured a half inch of snow.

What these are

Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Indiana in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Indiana, February 2020

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 878938, 878939, 878940.