Scattered snow showers developed over the region in response to an upper level low pressure system that tracked to the east.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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.
Scattered snow showers developed over the region in response to an upper level low pressure system that tracked to the east.
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 17, 12:46 PM EST, 14 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION National Weather Service Wilmington OH 1246 PM EST Sun Jan 17 2021 .SYNOPSIS... An upper level low pressure system will move east across the Ohio Valley today and tonight. Weak high pressure and drier conditions will build into the Ohio Valley for Monday. A weak weather system will pass through the region Monday night into Tuesday. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 PM THIS EVENING/... Mid level energy will rotate across our area today as an upper level trough/low approaches from the west through this afternoon. The combination of this and some daytime heating will lead to fairly widespread snow shower activity, with perhaps a little bit of rain mixing in across the south. Temperatures will likely only rise a few degrees with afternoon readings mostly in the mid 30s. Expect accumulations through this afternoon to be an inch or less and mainly on grassy/elevated surfaces given the warmer ground temperatures. && .SHORT TERM /6 PM THIS EVENING THROUGH 6 PM MONDAY/... For tonight, the upper level low will gradually pull east. Scattered precipitation during the evening will show a decreasing from west to east during the overnight hours. Additional snow accumulations will be less than an inch. As temperatures fall below freezing, a few slick spots may develop. Will issue an SPS area wide accounting for conditions today and tonight. Lows will bottom out in the mid to upper 20s. On Monday, although weak surface ridging will move into the Ohio Valley, considerable cloudiness will remain trapped underneath a subsidence inversion. It will remain seasonably cold with highs in the lower to mid 30s. && .LONG TERM /MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... No major changes for the weak system expected to move through late Monday night and into the day Tuesday. A pressure trough/weak front will accompany a weak shortwave, leading to a localized area of lift and subsequent light snow. QPF amounts remain light but a few tenths of snow are possible. Best chance for slick spots will be early Tuesday morning as temperatures are in the upper 20s. Temperatures warm through the late morning and early afternoon, limiting further impacts. Precipitation quickly tapers off Tuesday afternoon with high pressure nosing in from the south Tuesday night and into the day Wednesday. Some minor changes for the mid-week system with large amounts of uncertainty still associated with the overall expectations. Pressure pattern Wednesday night should consist of a large area of low pressure over the northern Great Lakes and a shunted high pressure in the Southeast. Off the California southern coast, two separate shortwaves interacting within a broad cut-off low leads to a highly volatile downstream outcome. 00Z deterministic and ensemble trends are pointing toward a drier solution Wednesday night through Friday as one of the shortwaves fails to advance into the central US, eliminating a sufficient moisture surge into the Ohio Valley. While the trend is moving toward a drier solution, ensemble support remains for the previous forecast. In collaboration with surrounding offices, have lowered PoPs given the drier trend. With a drier precipitation trend and lower 500 mb height trend, if precipitation were to move into the region, precipitation types would vary from north to south. Best chances for snow would be Wednesday night into Thursday morning with cold air in place, and then again Thursday night into Friday morning as colder air filters in from the west. Precipitation moves off to the east and a deepening mid- level ridge begins to build over the eastern US Friday into Saturday. Temperature forecast over the course of the extended period is fairly benign with near climatological normals for the most part. Only significant exception would be Thursday highs with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal. Although, with a deeper polar trough and the lack of strong moisture/warm air advection, these high temperatures may trend cooler as well. && .AVIATION /18Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Widespread light snow is continuing across the region this afternoon with some embedded heavier snow showers. This will result in MVFR to IFR conditions through the afternoon with some brief localized LIFR conditions possible in the heaviest snow showers. The snow is associated with an upper level low pressure system that will move east across the area tonight. As it does, expect the snow to gradually taper off from the west tonight. However, MVFR to IFR cigs will prevail through tonight with MVFR cigs then persisting through the day on Monday. OUTLOOK...MVFR ceilings and visibilities possible on Tuesday. MVFR and IFR ceilings and visibilities possible Wednesday into Thursday. && .ILN WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OH...None. KY...None. IN...None. && SYNOPSIS...Hickman NEAR TERM...JGL SHORT TERM...Hickman LONG TERM...McGinnis AVIATION...JGL
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Wilmington OH 442 AM EST Sun Jan 17 2021 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-181200- 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- 442 AM EST Sun Jan 17 2021 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...Today and tonight. Snow showers area expected today and tonight. Some of the snow may mix with rain along and south of the Ohio River during the afternoon. Total snow accumulations will be around an inch or less. Visibilities may be reduced in more robust snow showers. Slick spots may develop tonight as temperatures drop below freezing. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Monday through Saturday. There is a low probability for widespread hazardous weather. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
Special Weather Statement National Weather Service Wilmington OH 959 AM EST Sun Jan 17 2021 INZ050-058-059-066-073>075-080-KYZ089>100-OHZ026-034-035-042>046- 051>056-060>065-070>074-077>082-088-172100- 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- Including the cities of Richmond, Connersville, Liberty, West College Corner, Brookville, Batesville, Milan, Versailles, Lawrenceburg, Aurora, Rising Sun, Vevay, Carrollton, Warsaw, Florence, Burlington, Oakbrook, Covington, Erlanger, Independence, Newport, Alexandria, Owenton, Williamstown, Crittenden, Dry Ridge, Falmouth, Butler, Augusta, Brooksville, Mount Olivet, Maysville, Vanceburg, Tollesboro, Kenton, Ada, Celina, Coldwater, Wapakoneta, St. Marys, Greenville, Sidney, Bellefontaine, Marysville, Delaware, Troy, Piqua, Tipp City, Urbana, Springfield, London, West Jefferson, Plain City, Columbus, Newark, Eaton, Camden, Dayton, Kettering, Beavercreek, Fairborn, Xenia, Washington Court House, Circleville, Lancaster, Pickerington, Hamilton, Middletown, Fairfield, Oxford, Mason, Lebanon, Springboro, Wilmington, Blanchester, Chillicothe, Logan, Cincinnati, Milford, Georgetown, Mount Orab, Hillsboro, Greenfield, West Union, Peebles, Waverly, Piketon, Portsmouth, and Wheelersburg 959 AM EST Sun Jan 17 2021 ...SNOW SHOWERS EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT... Occasional snow showers will continue through this afternoon. Some of the snow may mix with rain along and south of the Ohio River. An inch or less of wet snow is expected on grassy and elevated surfaces. Although road temperatures will remain above freezing and therefore wet, some reduced visibilities may occur in the more robust snow showers. For tonight, snow showers will become scattered this evening. The precipitation will then gradually taper off from west to east overnight. Additional snow accumulations will be less than an inch. As temperatures fall below freezing, a few slick spots may develop. If planning travel today and tonight, be alert for rapidly changing visibilities and slick spots on untreated pavement.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
A report from east of Canal Winchester indicated that 2.8 inches of snow had fallen.
The observer in Jeffersonville measured 1.5 inches of snow.
The observer near Fort Loramie measured 1.3 inches of snow.
The observer near Springboro measured an inch of snow.
The observer northeast of St. Paris measured 1.2 inches of snow.
The observer north of Huntsville measured an inch of snow.
The observer 7 miles north-northwest of Wilmington measured 1.2 inches of snow.
The observer in Logan measured an inch of snow.
The observer in Circleville measured an inch of snow.
The observer north of Carroll measured two inches of snow.
The observer north of Kirkersville measured 1.3 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Ohio in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, January 2021
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: 938362, 938363, 938364, 938365, 938366, 938367, 938368, 938369, 938370, 938371, 938372.