Ohio, 2022

Blizzard and Winter Storm in Ohio, December 23 to 24, 2022

December 23 to 24, 2022 · NWS CLE · 58 events in 29 counties and zones

A long-duration, multi-faceted winter storm hit northern Ohio just before Christmas 2022 with extreme cold, strong winds, accumulating snow and extensive blowing and drifting of the snow that fell. An Arctic cold front swept east across northern Ohio during the late evening hours of December 22nd and early morning hours of December 23rd.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 58 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
8
Injuries
73
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
58

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 CLE wrote it up.

A long-duration, multi-faceted winter storm hit northern Ohio just before Christmas 2022 with extreme cold, strong winds, accumulating snow and extensive blowing and drifting of the snow that fell. An Arctic cold front swept east across northern Ohio during the late evening hours of December 22nd and early morning hours of December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. The snow was generally light to moderate, but a brief period of heavier snow with rates of around one inch per hour lifted from Central Ohio through Northeast Ohio during the early morning hours December 23rd. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 40 MPH area-wide through the day. Peak gusts in Northwest Ohio and in counties along the Lake Erie shoreline were between 50-60 MPH, with some marine stations gusting upwards of 70 MPH. Peak gusts across the rest of northern Ohio were generally 40-50 MPH. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30mph until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. In parts of northern Ohio the blowing and drifting snow was extensive enough to lead to blizzard conditions on December 23rd. This storm caused a number of impacts across the area. The greatest impact was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. During the early afternoon hours on December 23rd a pile-up involving over 50 vehicles occurred on the Ohio Turnpike near the Sandusky and Erie County line, unfortunately leading to over 70 injuries and 4 fatalities. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. In total, several hundred traffic accidents, slide-offs, or disabled vehicles were reported across northern Ohio during this storm with approximately 200 accident-related injuries resulting. Many counties declared level three snow emergencies, prompting the closure of all county roads. Wind chills dipped to -25 to -40 across all of northern Ohio on December 23rd, unfortunately leading to 2 exposure-related fatalities, one in Stark County and another in Marion County. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Snowfall at climate sites across northern Ohio ranged from 1.0 at Toledo to 2.7 at Akron-Canton, 2.9 at Mansfield, 3.7 at Cleveland and 4.3 at Youngstown. Trained snow spotters reported amounts as high as 6.5 near Thompson and 6.0 near Shelby and Monroe Center.

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 Cleveland, OH wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 22, 9:29 PM EST, 2 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 22, 9:29 PM EST, 2 hours 31 minutes before
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Cleveland OH
929 PM EST Thu Dec 22 2022

.SYNOPSIS...
Deepening low pressure moves northeast into the Great Lakes
region by early Friday morning. A very strong arctic cold front
extending from this low races eastward across the region
overnight Thursday into early Friday morning. A surface trough
then lingers over the eastern Great Lakes through Sunday.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT/...
Latest radar, 0z model guidance, and surface observations
suggest that we are perhaps entering a perceived "lull" in the
precipitation along the arctic front, especially across NW OH
this evening as the upper-jet energy begins to arrive across the
Lower OH Valley which will lead to explosive cyclogenesis late
tonight into Friday. This may lead to lower snowfall totals and
overall impacts across NW OH. However, we are currently watching
an area of precipitation across SW OH that continues to
strengthen, noted by multiple surface observations of moderate
to heavy snow at times. This area of precipitation will work its
way north and east into the region later tonight in conjunction
with the strong, arctic front. This will be the area to watch
for any significant impacts with regards to snowfall rates
and/or blowing snow overnight and into the morning hours.

Previous Discussion...
Finally, the long-awaited low pressure system that we've been
talking about all week is on our door step. Multiple hazards
including snow, strong winds and bitter cold will impact the
region tonight through Friday night. Winter storm warnings and
wind chill warnings will be in effect starting tonight and
through the near term period for these hazards.

The aforementioned surface low is currently over the northern
Great Lakes, with the very strong arctic cold front extending
southward across Lake Michigan, to the IL/IN border, and
farther south to the southern Mississippi Valley and southern
Great Plains. Strong cyclogenesis as a result of the approaching
intense upper level will result in the development of a new low
over lower Michigan, which will rapidly deepen as it moves east
towards southern Ontario by Friday morning. As it does so, the
cold front will move eastward across the area late tonight
through early Friday morning. Ahead of the front, rain showers
are observed on radar across much of the region and should
increase in coverage ahead of the front this evening and early
tonight. As the front crosses the area, current temperatures in
the low 40s will rapidly drop to the single digits in the matter
of hours. Rain should transition to snow nearly immediately
with the frontal passage. General frontal timing is around 04Z
for Toledo-Findlay, 06Z for Mansfield-Port Clinton, 08Z for
Cleveland-Akron-Canton, 10Z for Youngstown, and 11-12Z for
northwest Pennsylvania. Initially, snowfall rates of up to 1"/hr
and visibility down to 1/2 SM will be possible, though only
briefly, before weakening to a light areal snow. Light snow
lingers through at least mid-morning before diminishing from
west to east. Generally expect about 2-4 inches of snow by
Friday afternoon/evening.

With the frontal passage, winds immediately shift to out of the
west, gradually strengthening through the day, to its peak
Friday evening into Friday night. A strong low-level jet
filters, with 850mb winds generally between 45-60 kts. This is
a little weaker than previous model runs, though is still
strong and should support max wind gusts up to 50 kts (60 mph).
Strongest wind gusts are expected 18Z/Fri through 03Z/Sat.
Strong wind gusts will likely result in areas of blowing snow
across the area, which could cause variable low visibility and
hazardous travel conditions.

The airmass behind the cold front will be very cold, with
temperatures dropping to near zero, and even below zero,
by Friday afternoon. These extremely cold temperatures will
continue through Friday night. The strong winds mentioned above
will result in the very cold wind chills down to
-30, which is highly unusual for our area.

We've received a fair number of questions on the need for a
blizzard warning with this event. As a reminder, a blizzard
warning requires sustained winds or frequent gusts to 35 mph
accompanied by falling/blowing snow, frequently reducing
visibilities to 1/4SM or less, for 3 hours or longer. While it's
likely we observe the wind criteria for an extended duration,
there is very low confidence in the occurrence of 1/4SM
visibility for 3 hours or longer. Any heavy snow that occurs
will be brief (probably an hour or less) and the amount of snow
that falls may not be enough for blowing snow to consistently
reduce visibilities to 1/4SM or longer. For this reason, a
blizzard warning will not be issued with this forecast cycle. As
always, we will continue to monitor the situation.

&&

.SHORT TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...
The main weather story this Christmas weekend will be the extreme
cold and lake effect snow impacting portions of the primary Snowbelt
region, especially closer to the lakeshore. Our region will remain
in a deep cyclonic flow with the center of a strong low pressure
system north of the eastern Great Lakes region over southwestern
Quebec. We will continue to be in a general west-southwest flow
around this large storm system on Saturday. There will be a lake
effect snow band hugging near the lakeshore of Lake, Ashtabula, and
Erie (PA) on Saturday. The flow will shift slightly more westerly
Saturday night into Sunday which will allow this LES band to come
more inland across the primary Snowbelt. Additional 3 to 6+ inches
of LES is expected for areas along the lakeshore in the primary
Snowbelt this weekend with the highest total along the immediate
shore. Elsewhere, it will be frigid with mainly cloudy skies. Also
can't rule out additional flurries or scatttered light snow showers
across portions of northern Ohio this weekend. High temperatures on
Saturday will be in the upper single digits to lower teens.
Christmas eve lows will be back down in the single digits and highs
on Christmas Day will be in the teens.  Wind chills on Saturday will
remain dangerously cold between -15F to -25F with some improvement
by Sunday hovering around zero.

&&

.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
Ongoing LES hugging the lakeshore early Monday will slowly decrease
and fade away as the southwest flow become weaker. The overall upper
level flow will also become more zonal by early next week. Weak high
pressure will be over the area by late Monday with winds finally
becoming lighter. Temperatures will also start a slow rebound with
highs around 20 degrees on Monday. By Tuesday, there will be return
to southerly flow and temperatures climb a little more into the
middle to upper 20s. We maybe rise above freezing by next Wednesday.
The forecast looks mainly dry for early to middle of next week.

&&

.AVIATION /00Z Friday THROUGH Tuesday/...
Mixed-bag of IFR, MVFR, and even VFR across the region this
evening. VFR conditions at ERI will eventually fall to MVFR and
IFR as the cold front approaches later tonight. Otherwise, ahead
of the cold front, seeing some pockets of lower vsbys and
ceilings associated with rain showers and patchy fog. Have tried
to time the cold front in 2-hour windows of where we expect the
heaviest and most impactful snow from the cold front across the
TAF sites. Mainly anticipating 1/2sm snow, though can't rule
out brief bursts of 1/4sm snow. Following the frontal passage,
there could still be some light snow showers, though this
activity appears to remain fairly impactful, with the gusty
winds contributing to IFR blsn through the morning and perhaps
into the afternoon.

Winds are generally out of the southeast, 5 to 10 knots, this
evening. As the cold front moves west to east across the region
later this evening and overnight, winds will abruptly shift
towards the west and west-southwest, with gusts of 30 to 35
knots possible, increasing further to 40 to 45 knots by the late
morning and afternoon. The highest gusts will be possible at
ERI where 50 knot gusts are possible tomorrow afternoon and
evening.

Outlook...Non-VFR Friday night through early Sunday, primarily
from low ceilings and/or periods of blowing snow. Strong
southwesterly winds with frequent gusts exceeding 40 knots are
expected through Saturday.

&&

.MARINE...
A significant storm will impact Lake Erie over the next couple of
days. Multiple headlines area in effect at this time on Lake Erie
including storm warnings, low water advisory for the western basin,
and heavy freezing spray warning.  A very strong low pressure system
is progged to move northeast across Lake Erie tonight forcing a very
strong cold front east across the lake. Winds will increase tonight
out of the southeast ahead of the cold front. Following the passage
of an Arctic cold front tonight, winds will dramatically increase to
storm force over Lake Erie lake on Friday. Strong gusty winds
will force water levels to drop to -48 inches where it bottoms
out in the forecast graphics resulting in an incredibly strong
seiche on the lake. The strong winds will also cause heavy
freezing spray on vessel structures due to the lifted spray from
waves. Significantly high waves will likely cause beach erosion
and damage to the shoreline and any structures along the shore.
We should start to see the winds diminish gradually Sunday
through Monday as the low pressure system pulls out to the
northeast slowly.

&&

.CLE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OH...Winter Storm Warning until 7 AM EST Saturday for OHZ003-
     006>008-017-018-027>030-036-037-047.
     Wind Chill Warning from 4 AM Friday to 10 AM EST Saturday for
     OHZ003-006>014-017>023-027>033-036>038-047-089.
     Winter Storm Warning from 1 AM Friday to 10 AM EST Saturday
     for OHZ009>011-013-019>023-031>033-038.
     Winter Storm Warning from 1 AM Friday to 4 PM EST Sunday for
     OHZ012-014-089.
PA...Wind Chill Warning from 4 AM Friday to 10 AM EST Saturday for
     PAZ001>003.
     Winter Storm Warning from 1 AM Friday to 10 AM EST Saturday
     for PAZ003.
     Winter Storm Warning from 1 AM Friday to 4 PM EST Sunday for
     PAZ001-002.
MARINE...Low Water Advisory from 3 AM Friday to 4 AM EST Sunday for
     LEZ142>144-162>164.
     Storm Warning from 3 AM Friday to 4 AM EST Saturday for
     LEZ142>144-162>164.
     Heavy Freezing Spray Warning from 3 AM Friday to 4 AM EST
     Sunday for LEZ142>144-162>164.
     Storm Warning from 5 AM Friday to 10 AM EST Saturday for
     LEZ145>149-165>169.
     Heavy Freezing Spray Warning from 5 AM Friday to 4 PM EST
     Sunday for LEZ145>149-165>169.

&&

SYNOPSIS...Saunders
NEAR TERM...Kahn/Saunders
SHORT TERM...Griffin
LONG TERM...Griffin
AVIATION...Kahn
MARINE...Griffin
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 22, 4:59 AM EST, 19 hours 1 minute before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Cleveland OH
459 AM EST Thu Dec 22 2022

OHZ009>011-013-019>023-031>033-038-PAZ003-231000-
Erie-Lorain-Cuyahoga-Geauga-Huron-Medina-Summit-Portage-Trumbull-
Wayne-Stark-Mahoning-Holmes-Crawford-
459 AM EST Thu Dec 22 2022

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM EST
SATURDAY...
...WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM EST
SATURDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central Ohio, northeast
Ohio and northwest Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...Today and 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.
   Wind Chill Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.
   Wind Chill Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

OHZ003-006>008-017-018-027>030-036-037-047-231000-
Lucas-Wood-Ottawa-Sandusky-Hancock-Seneca-Wyandot-Crawford-Richland-
Ashland-Marion-Morrow-Knox-
459 AM EST Thu Dec 22 2022

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 7 AM
EST SATURDAY...
...WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM EST
SATURDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for north central Ohio and
northwest Ohio.

.DAY ONE...Today and 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.
   Wind Chill Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.
   Wind Chill Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

OHZ012-014-089-PAZ001-002-231000-
Lake-Ashtabula Inland-Ashtabula Lakeshore-Northern Erie-
Southern Erie-
459 AM EST Thu Dec 22 2022

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 1 AM FRIDAY TO 4 PM EST
SUNDAY...
...WIND CHILL WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM EST
SATURDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Ohio and northwest
Pennsylvania.

.DAY ONE...Today and 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.
   Wind Chill Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Winter Storm Warning.
   Wind Chill Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

LEZ142>144-162>164-231000-
Maumee Bay to Reno Beach OH-Reno Beach to The Islands OH-
The Islands to Vermilion OH-
Detroit River Lt. to Maumee Bay OH to Reno Beach OH beyond 5NM
offshoreline to US-Canadian border-
Reno Beach to The Islands OH beyond 5NM off shoreline to US-
Canadian border-
The Islands to Vermilion OH beyond 5 nm off shoreline to US-
Canadian border-
459 AM EST Thu Dec 22 2022

...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM FRIDAY TO 4 AM EST SATURDAY...
...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM FRIDAY TO 4 AM
EST SUNDAY...
...LOW WATER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 3 AM FRIDAY TO 4 AM EST
SUNDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Lake Erie.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Low Water Advisory.
   Storm Warning.
   Heavy Freezing Spray Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Low Water Advisory.
   Storm Warning.
   Heavy Freezing Spray Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

LEZ061-145>149-165>169-231000-
Ripley to Buffalo NY extending from 5NM off shoreline to US-
Canadian border-Vermilion to Avon Point OH-
Avon Point to Willowick OH-Willowick to Geneva-on-the Lake OH-Geneva-
on-the-Lake to Conneaut OH-Conneaut OH to Ripley NY-
Vermilion to Avon Point OH beyond 5 nm off shoreline to US-
Canadian border-
Avon Point to Willowick OH beyond 5 nm off shoreline to US-
Canadian border-Willowick to Geneva-on-the-
Lake OH beyond 5NM off shoreline to US-Canadian border-Geneva-on-the-
Lake to Conneaut OH beyond 5 nm off shoreline to US-Canadian border-
Conneaut OH to Ripley NY beyond 5 nm off shoreline to US-
Canadian border-
459 AM EST Thu Dec 22 2022

...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM FRIDAY TO 10 AM EST SATURDAY...
...HEAVY FREEZING SPRAY WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 5 AM FRIDAY TO 4 PM
EST SUNDAY...

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for Lake Erie.

.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Storm Warning.
   Heavy Freezing Spray Warning.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday.

Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.

   Storm Warning.
   Heavy Freezing Spray Warning.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

Spotter activation is not expected at this time.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

29 extreme cold/wind chill, 22 winter storm, 7 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Lucas

When
December 23, 12:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Lucas forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
41.684, -83.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly before midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of mainly light snow occurred behind the front across the county through the morning hours of December 23rd before tapering to flurries. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow tapered off through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 45 MPH at times through the day. Toledo Express Airport measured a 52 MPH wind gust at 944 AM December 23rd, the highest gust measured in the county. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area December 23rd and 24th with over a dozen accidents resulting in at least minor injuries. The Lucas County Sheriff declared a Level 2 snow emergency early in the morning on December 23rd, which was not downgraded until the morning of December 24th. This is issued when travel is strongly discouraged across a county unless absolutely necessary. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 3 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until after 6 PM December 25th. The coldest wind chills occurred during the daytime hours of December 23rd. Minimum wind chills as low as -36F were recorded on a weather station near Ottawa Hills at 1055 AM December 23rd, with Toledo Express Airport recording a minimum wind chill of -29F at 10:32 AM. In response, warming centers were opened across the county. A number of burst pipes were reported across the area due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Toledo Express Airport measured 1.0 of snow from this storm. Amounts of 2 were measured by CoCoRaHS observers near Toledo and Ottawa Hills, with CoCoRaHS observers also measuring 2.5 near Waterville and up to 4.5 in Richfield Township.

Winter Storm, Wood

When
December 23, 12:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Wood forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
41.362, -83.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly before midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of mainly light snow occurred behind the front across the county through the morning hours of December 23rd before tapering to flurries. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 45 MPH at times through the day. The highest gust in the county was a 56 MPH gust measured at Toledo Executive Airport at 7:17 AM December 23rd. Scattered power-outages resulted, including some at sewage and water pump stations. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. Blowing snow resulted in periods of white-out conditions and drifting snow across roads in open areas where snow blew around the most, especially from the early morning through the evening hours of December 23rd. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th, with over a dozen accidents resulting in at least minor injuries. The Wood County Sheriff declared a Level 2 snow emergency early in the morning on December 23rd, which was not downgraded until the morning of December 24th. This is issued when travel is strongly discouraged across a county unless absolutely necessary. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 3 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until after 6 PM December 25th. The coldest wind chill recorded in the county was -36F on a weather station in Lemoyne at 10:46 AM December 23rd. Toledo Executive Airport recorded a wind chill of -32F at 10:53 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across the area due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. CoCoRaHS observers measured 2.0 of snow near Perrysburg and 1.2 of snow near Bowling Green. A trained spotter also measured 2.0 near Pemberville.

Winter Storm, Hancock

When
December 23, 12:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Hancock forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
41.002, -83.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly before midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of mainly light snow occurred behind the front across the county through the morning hours of December 23rd before tapering to flurries. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and occasionally gusted over 45 mph through the day. The highest reliably-measured wind gust in the county was a 55 MPH gust at the Findlay airport, measured at 4:33 PM December 23rd. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. Blowing snow resulted in periods of white-out conditions and drifting snow across roads in open areas where snow blew around the most, especially from the early morning through the evening hours of December 23rd. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. At one point around 4 AM December 23rd, I-75 southbound was closed near milepost 168 due to multiple jack-knifed semis. A few accidents across the county during the storm resulted in at least minor injuries. The Hancock County Sheriff declared a Level 3 Snow Emergency during the morning hours of December 23rd, which closed all roads in the county to non-emergency travel. This was not lifted until the next morning. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 2 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until the early morning hours of December 26th. Findlay airport recorded a wind chill of -36F at 9:53 AM December 23rd. A mesonet station in Findlay also measured a wind chill of -38F at 10:45 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across the area due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A CoCoRaHS observer measured 2.3 of snow in Findlay with this storm.

Blizzard, Ottawa

When
December 23, 12:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Ottawa forecast zone
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
41.497, -82.941 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of mainly light snow occurred behind the front across the county through the morning hours of December 23rd before tapering to flurries. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and occasionally gusted over 50 MPH through the day. The highest gust measured on land was a 62 MPH gust measured at Port Clinton Airport at 10:35 AM. A few thousand power outages resulted across the county, with some lasting over 24 hours. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. On December 23rd, a combination of falling/blowing snow and strong wind gusts led to visibility remaining at or below one-quarter of a mile at Port Clinton Airport from 7:35 AM through 2:55 PM, meaning that blizzard conditions were observed. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. The Ottawa County Sheriff declared a Level 3 snow emergency the morning of December 23rd, which closes all roads in the county to non-emergency travel. This was not lifted until the next morning. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 4 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until the early morning hours of December 26th. The lowest wind chill observed in the county was -37F on a weather station in Martin at 11:39 AM. Port Clinton Airport recorded a minimum wind chill of -36F at 12:15 PM. About one-dozen people took shelter at a warming center in Port Clinton due to losing power in those frigid conditions. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter measured 2.0 of snow near Gypsum with this storm.

Blizzard, Sandusky

When
December 23, 12:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Sandusky forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 4 indirect
Injuries
0 direct, 73 indirect
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
41.357, -83.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly before midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind the front into the morning hours of December 23rd before becoming much lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 50 MPH through the day. A peak wind gust of 58 MPH was measured at 1:55 PM December 23rd at the Sandusky County Regional Airport. Scattered tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The Sandusky County Regional Airport reported visibility consistently at or below one-quarter of a mile in falling and/or blowing snow beginning around 4 AM December 23rd and continuing through 5 PM before gradually improving. Wind gusts were well over 35 MPH for that entire period, meaning blizzard conditions were observed. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. The most significant incident occurred shortly before 12:30 PM December 23rd at mile marker 106 of the Ohio Turnpike, in Townsend Township along the Erie County border. A deadly pile-up involving 46 vehicles occurred, resulting in 4 fatalities (a 59 year-old male, 30 year-old male, 37 year-old female and 19 year-old female). A total of 73 injuries occurred, several critical. At the time of the accident blowing snow was resulting in near-zero visibility with winds gusting over 50 MPH and wind chills between -30 and -35 degrees. Due to the severity of the accident and harsh conditions the Turnpike did not fully reopen in both directions until 5 PM December 24th. The Sandusky County Sheriff called a Level 3 snow emergency the morning of December 23rd, which was not lifted until early December 24th. This closed all roads in the county to non-emergency travel. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 4 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the early morning hours of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -37 degrees was reported at 9:55 AM December 23rd at the Sandusky County Regional Airport. A weather station in Fremont reported a wind chill of -33 degrees at 11:00 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Snowfall totals in the county averaged 2 to 3 inches.

Blizzard, Erie

When
December 23, 12:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Erie forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.432, -82.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly before midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind the front into the morning hours of December 23rd before becoming much lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 50 MPH through the day. A weather station in Sandusky measured a peak wind gust of 51 MPH at 11:28 AM December 23rd. Nearby, Sandusky County Regional Airport clocked a peak gust of 58 MPH at 1:55 PM, with a 62 MPH gust measured at 10:35 AM at Port Clinton Regional Airport. Scattered tree damage and over 7,000 power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The Sandusky County Regional Airport reported visibility consistently at or below one-quarter of a mile in falling and/or blowing snow beginning around 4 AM December 23rd and continuing through 5 PM before gradually improving. At Port Clinton Airport, these conditions were observed from 7:30 AM through 3:30 PM. Wind gusts were well over 35 MPH for that entire period, meaning blizzard conditions were observed. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. The most significant incident occurred shortly before 12:30 PM December 23rd at Mile Marker 106 of the Ohio Turnpike, in Groton Township along the Sandusky County border. A deadly pile-up involving 48 vehicles occurred, resulting in 4 fatalities (a 59 year-old male, 30 year-old male, 37 year-old female and 19 year-old female). A total of 73 injuries occurred. At the time of the accident, blowing snow was resulting in near-zero visibility with winds gusting over 50 MPH and wind chills between -30 and -35 degrees. Due to the severity of the accident and harsh conditions, the Turnpike did not fully reopen in both directions until 5 PM December 24th. Elsewhere, Ohio Route 2 was closed in both directions near the city of Huron shortly before 1 PM December 23rd due to multiple accidents. The Erie County Sheriff called a Level 3 snow emergency the morning of December 23rd, which was not lifted until early December 24th. This closed all roads in the county to non-emergency travel. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 4 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the early morning hours of December 26th. A wind chill of -31 degrees was reported at 12:00 PM December 23rd on a weather station in Sandusky. A warming center was opened in Sandusky in response to these conditions. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter measured 3.0 of snow in Huron with this storm. CoCoRaHS observers reported 2.5 of snow in Berlin Heights and 1.5 in Vermilion Township.

Winter Storm, Seneca

When
December 23, 12:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Seneca forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.124, -83.128 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of mainly light snow occurred behind the front across the county through the morning hours of December 23rd before tapering to flurries. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 40 MPH through the day. The highest wind gust measured in Seneca County was 43 MPH on a mesonet station at 7 AM near Tiffin. However, nearby airports gusted higher, with a 55 MPH gust measured in Findlay and a 58 MPH gust measured in Fremont. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. In open areas where snow was blown around most readily periods of white-out conditions occurred at times much of December 23rd. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. A couple of these accidents resulted in at least minor injuries. The Seneca County Sheriff declared a Level 3 snow emergency the morning of December 23rd, which closed all roads in the county to non-emergency travel. This was not lifted until close to midday December 24th. Law enforcement commented that plows were not able to keep roads from drifting shut and that the number of disabled vehicles significantly strained emergency services. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 4 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. A wind chill of -27F was recorded at 7:00 AM December 23rd on a mesonet station near Tiffin. Other nearby airports, such as Findlay and Fremont, recorded wind chills colder than -30F. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter measured 2.0 of snow near Old Fort.

Winter Storm, Wyandot

When
December 23, 12:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Wyandot forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.842, -83.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of mainly light snow occurred behind the front across the county through the morning hours of December 23rd before tapering to flurries. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 40 MPH through the day. Nearby airports measured a 55 MPH gust in Findlay at 4:33 PM and a 58 MPH gust in Fremont at 1:55 PM. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. In open areas where snow was blown around most readily periods of white-out conditions occurred at times much of December 23rd. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. A few of these accidents resulted in at least minor injuries. The Wyandot County Sheriff declared a Level 3 snow emergency the morning of December 23rd, which closed all roads in the county to non-emergency travel. This was not lifted until the next morning. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 4 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. A wind chill of -34F was recorded at 10:04 AM December 23rd on a mesonet station near Upper Sandusky. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter measured 2.5 of snow near Harpster.

Winter Storm, Marion

When
December 23, 12:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Marion forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.587, -83.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly before midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind the front across the county through the morning hours of December 23rd before tapering to flurries. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 35 MPH through the day. Marion County airport measured a 40 MPH wind gust at 2:52 AM December 23rd before failing. At nearby airports, a 41 MPH gust was clocked at Delaware Municipal at 7:15 AM with 45 MPH gusts recorded in Mansfield three times between 7:22 AM and 1:33 PM. This led to isolated power-outages. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Nearly 150 minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the county on December 23rd and 24th. Several of these accidents resulted in at least minor injuries. The Marion County Sheriff declared a Level 3 snow emergency the morning of December 23rd, which closed all roads in the county to non-emergency travel. This was not lifted until the next morning. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 4 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. A wind chill of -36F was recorded at 9:00 AM December 23rd on a mesonet station in Marion. Unfortunately, a 65 year old male lost his life due to prolonged exposure to this cold. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern and central Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter measured 2.5 of snow in Marion with this storm.

Winter Storm, Morrow

When
December 23, 1:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Morrow forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
40.524, -82.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly before midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind the front across the county through the morning hours of December 23rd before tapering to flurries. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 35 MPH through the day. At nearby airports, Marion County Airport measured a 40 MPH wind gust at 2:52 AM December 23rd before failing. A 41 MPH gust was clocked at Delaware Municipal Airport at 7:15 AM, with a 43 MPH gust measured at Knox County airport at 4:55 AM and 45 MPH gusts recorded in Mansfield three times between 7:22 AM and 1:33 PM. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Several minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the county on December 23rd and 24th. The Morrow County Sheriff declared a Level 3 snow emergency around Noon on December 23rd, which closed all roads in the county to non-emergency travel. This was not lifted until close to midday on December 24th. When issuing the Level 3 snow emergency, the sheriff noted that blowing snow was leading to near 0 visibility with snow drifting across roadways in parts of the county. The number of disabled vehicles put a strain on emergency services. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 5 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. A wind chill of -37F was recorded at 9:40 AM December 23rd on a mesonet station near Galion. A station in Marengo measured a wind chill of -28F at 10:33 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern and central Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A CoCoRaHS observer measured 2.5 of snow near Mount Gilead.

Winter Storm, Knox

When
December 23, 1:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
40.399, -82.421 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly before midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind the front across the county through the morning hours of December 23rd before tapering to flurries. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 35 MPH through the day. A peak wind gust of 43 MPH was recorded at Knox County airport at 4:55 AM December 23rd. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 25 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Several minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the county on December 23rd and 24th. The Knox County Sheriff declared a Level 3 snow emergency the evening of December 23rd which closed all roads in the county to non-emergency travel. This was not lifted until close to midday on December 24th. The sheriff mentioned that blowing and drifting snow was leading to some roads being impassable. The number of disabled vehicles put a strain on emergency services. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 5 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. A wind chill of -35F was recorded at 9:55 AM December 23rd at the Knox County Airport. A CoCoRaHS observer measured 2.0 of snow in Mount Vernon with this storm.

Winter Storm, Crawford

When
December 23, 1:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Crawford forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
40.851, -82.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly before midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind the front across the county through the morning hours of December 23rd before tapering to flurries. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 35 MPH through the day. At nearby airports, a peak gust of 45 MPH was observed three times in Mansfield between 7:22 AM and 1:35 PM December 23rd. Marion County Airport measured a 40 MPH gust at 2:52 AM before failing, with a 55 MPH gust measured at 4:33 PM in Findlay. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 25 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Several minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the county on December 23rd and 24th. An indirect fatality resulted when a 34 year old male got into an accident involving a snow plow while driving on December 23rd. The Crawford County Sheriff declared a Level 3 snow emergency the afternoon of December 23rd which closed all roads in the county to non-emergency travel. This was not lifted until the next morning. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 5 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. At nearby Mansfield Airport, a minimum wind chill of -35F was recorded at 11:52 AM December 23rd. A trained spotter measured 3.0 of snow near Tiro with this storm.

Winter Storm, Richland

When
December 23, 1:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Richland forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.775, -82.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly before Midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow with rates briefly up to 1 per hour occurred behind the frontal passage into the morning of December 23rd before becoming much lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and occasionally gusted over 40 MPH through the day. At Mansfield Lahm Regional airport a peak gust of 45 MPH was measured 3 times between 7:22 AM and 1:33 PM December 23rd. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th, with several of these accidents resulting in at least minor injury. Local news media reported that the number of disabled vehicles put a strain on emergency services on December 23rd. The Richland County Sheriff declared a Level 2 Snow Emergency the morning of December 23rd which was not lifted until the next day. This strongly discourages all non-essential travel in the county.. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 5 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -36F was reported at Mansfield Airport at 11:52 AM December 23rd. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern and central Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter in Shelby measured 6.0 of snow from this storm, with 2.9 measured at Mansfield Lahm Airport. Other select reports include a CoCoRaHS observer measuring 4.0 of snow near Charles Mill Lake east of Mansfield, with another CoCoRaHS observer measuring 3.5 of snow near Lexington. A trained spotter measured 3 of snow just west of downtown Mansfield.

Winter Storm, Huron

When
December 23, 1:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Huron forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.146, -82.598 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate snow occurred behind the front in the morning hours of December 23rd, with the snow becoming much lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 40 MPH through the day. The peak measured gust in Huron County was 48 MPH at 3:00 PM December 23rd, measured on a mesonet station in Bellevue. At nearby airports a peak gust of 54 MPH was measured at Lorain County airport at 2:26 PM. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. The Huron County Sheriff declared a Level 3 snow emergency around midday December 23rd, which closed all county roads to non-emergency travel. This was not lifted until the next morning. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 6 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until the early morning hours of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -36F was recorded on a mesonet station in Bellevue at 3:05 PM December 23rd. In response, a church was opened as a warming center in Bellevue. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter measured 3.7 of snow near New London from the storm.

Winter Storm, Ashland

When
December 23, 1:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Ashland forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.846, -82.271 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area shortly after Midnight December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow with rates briefly up to 1 per hour occurred behind the frontal passage into the morning of December 23rd before becoming much lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and occasionally gusted over 40 MPH through the day. At nearby Mansfield Lahm Regional airport a peak gust of 45 MPH was measured 3 times between 7:22 AM and 1:33 PM December 23rd. At Wayne County Regional Airport a peak gust of 51 MPH was measured at 10:50 AM. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th, at least one of these accidents resulting in minor injury. Local news media reported that the number of disabled vehicles put a strain on emergency services on December 23rd. The Ashland County Sheriff declared a Level 2 Snow Emergency the morning of December 23rd which was not lifted until the next day. This strongly discourages all non-essential travel in the county.. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 6 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A mesonet station in Ashland recorded a minimum wind chill of -41F at 11:35 AM December 23rd. A minimum wind chill of -36F was reported at Mansfield Airport at 11:52 AM, with a minimum wind chill of -36F also recorded at nearby Wayne County Airport at 12:19 PM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern and central Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter in Hayesville measured 2.0 of snow from this storm.

Blizzard, Lorain

When
December 23, 2:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Lorain forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.453, -82.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 1 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow occurred behind the front into the early morning hours of December 23rd with rates up to 1 per hour between 5:00 and 8:00 AM. Snow then became much lighter through the remainder of the morning. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 45 MPH through the day. At Lorain County Airport a peak gust of 54 MPH was measured at 2:26 PM December 23rd. A mesonet station in Avon Lake clocked a 50 MPH gust at 9:00 PM that day. These winds led to tree damage and power-outages, with over 3500 customers without power in the county at the peak of the storm. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. At the Lorain County airport, wind gusts over 35 MPH with visibility in falling/blowing snow at or below one-quarter of a mile was observed continuously from 8:12 AM through 4:45 PM December 23rd, meaning blizzard conditions were observed. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. Over a dozen of these accidents resulted in at least minor injuries. Wind chills plunged below 0F around 7 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0F until early in the morning December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -32F was measured at Lorain County airport at 12:53 PM December 23rd. Elsewhere, mesonet stations in Kipton and Lorain measured minimum wind chills of -34F at 10:20 AM and 11:15 AM respectively. In response, a warming center was opened at Lorain High School. An indirect fatality resulted on December 24th when a man with underlying health conditions died while shoveling snow in the cold conditions. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter measured 3.7 of snow near Oberlin. Another trained spotter measured 3.1 of snow in Elyria. CoCoRaHS observers measured 3.5 of snow near North Ridgeville and 2.0 of snow near Avon.

Blizzard, Cuyahoga

When
December 23, 2:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Cuyahoga forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.479, -81.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 2 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow, with rates briefly up to 1 per hour, occurred during the early morning of December 23rd behind the front. Snow began tapering through the morning. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 45 MPH through the day. A peak gust of 55 MPH was measured at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport at 8:36 AM December 23rd. Burke Lakefront Airport measured a 52 MPH gust at 11:04 AM. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. Cleveland Hopkins, Burke Lakefront, and Cuyahoga County Airports all observed visibility at or below one-quarter of a mile for well over 3 consecutive hours in falling and blowing snow with wind gusts over 35 MPH on December 23rd, meaning blizzard conditions were achieved in the county. These conditions developed shortly after 5 AM along the lakeshore and by 8 AM across inland portions of the county and didn’t subside until 3 to 5 PM that afternoon. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Hundreds of minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th, with several dozen accidents resulting in at least minor injury. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 5 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until after sunrise December 26th. Cleveland Hopkins recorded a minimum wind chill of -34F at 11:51 AM December 23rd. Cuyahoga County Airport reported a wind chill of -33F at 12:45 PM, and Burke Lakefront Airport recorded a wind chill of -31F at 11:53 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Cleveland Hopkins Airport measured 3.7 of snow with this storm. Trained spotters measured 5.0 of snow in Shaker Heights and Lyndhurst, with spotters also measuring 4.5 in Highland Heights, 4.0 in North Royalton and 3.4 in Westlake. CoCoRaHS observers measured 5.0 in Seven Hills, 4.9 in South Euclid, 4.4 in Parma and 3.5 in Westlake and Strongsville.

Winter Storm, Holmes

When
December 23, 2:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Holmes forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.561, -81.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 1 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind the front into the early morning hours of December 23rd. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 35 MPH through the day. A peak gust of 48 MPH was measured at Holmes County Regional Airport at 5:55 AM December 23rd. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that afternoon. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th with at least one of those accidents resulting in minor injuries in the county. The Holmes County Sheriff declared a Level 2 snow emergency the morning of December 23rd which was not lifted until later the next day. This strongly discourages all non-essential travel on county roadways. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 5 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until late in the evening December 25th. A minimum wind chill of -34F was reported at 11:55 AM December 23rd at Holmes County Regional Airport. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern and central Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Snowfall amounts around the county averaged 2 inches.

Winter Storm, Wayne

When
December 23, 2:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.829, -81.888 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 1 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind this cold front through the early morning hours of December 23rd. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 40 MPH through the day. A peak wind gust of 51 MPH was clocked at Wayne County Regional Airport at 10:50 AM December 23rd. Scattered power-outages were reported with some lasting several hours, which along with the cold led to localized water disruptions and the opening of a warming center at the Salvation Army in Wooster. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Approximately 100 minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the county December 23rd and 24th with several of these accidents resulting in at least minor injuries. The Wayne County Sheriff declared a Level 2 snow emergency the morning of December 23rd which was not lifted until the next day. This strongly discourages all non-essential travel on county roadways. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 5 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until early in the morning December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -36F was reported by Wayne County Regional Airport at 12:19 PM December 23rd. A mesonet station in Dalton recorded a wind chill of -37F at 11:00 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across central and northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter near Doylestown measured 2.0 of snow with this storm.

Winter Storm, Medina

When
December 23, 2:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Medina forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.118, -81.900 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 1 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow, with rates briefly up to 1 per hour, occurred during the early morning of December 23rd behind the front. Snow began tapering through the morning. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 45 MPH through the day. Mesonet stations in Medina County clocked peak gusts of 50 MPH at 1:35 PM December 23rd in Homerville and 49 MPH in Brunswick at 1:36 PM. At nearby Wayne County Regional Airport a peak gust of 51 MPH was measured at 10:50 AM. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th with a few of these accidents resulting in at least minor injuries. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 5 AM December 23rd and didn’t warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A mesonet station near Brunswick reported a minimum wind chill of -38F at 12:00 PM December 23rd. Elsewhere, mesonet stations recorded minimum wind chills of -33F in Homerville at 11:35 AM and -31F in Valley City at 12:35 PM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. CoCoRaHS observers measured 3.8 of snow in Medina and 3.6 of snow in Brunswick with this storm. Trained spotters measured 3.0 of snow near Hinckley and 2.6 of snow near Sharon Center.

Winter Storm, Summit

When
December 23, 2:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Summit forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.126, -81.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 2 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow, with rates briefly up to 1 per hour, occurred during the early morning of December 23rd behind the front. Snow began tapering through the morning. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 40 MPH through the day. Akron Fulton Airport measured a peak wind gust of 51 MPH at 5:27 AM December 23rd, with a 49 MPH gust recorded at Akron-Canton Airport at 6:28 AM. This resulted in sporadic power outages across the county. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th with over a dozen of these accidents resulting in at least minor injuries. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 5 AM December 23rd and didn’t warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -31F was recorded at 1:51 PM on December 23rd at Akron-Canton Airport, with a wind chill of -30F recorded at 1:54 PM at Akron Fulton. A mesonet station in Copley recorded a wind chill of -31F at 3:05 PM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Warming centers were also opened in Akron and Barberton in response. Trained spotters measured 4.9 of snow in Bath, 4.5 in Reminderville, 4.0 near Barberton, 3.7 in Tallmadge and 3.3 in Sagamore Hills with this storm. A Co-Op observer measured 3.0 in Munroe Falls. Akron-Canton Airport reported 2.7 of snow.

Winter Storm, Stark

When
December 23, 2:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Stark forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
40.814, -81.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 2 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind the frontal passage and into the morning hours of December 23rd before beginning to taper. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 35 MPH through the day. Nearby Akron-Canton airport measured a peak wind gust of 49 MPH at 6:28 AM December 23rd. A mesonet station in Canal Fulton measured a gust of 44 MPH at 5:55 PM that day. Sporadic power outages were reported as a result. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. Several of these accidents resulted in at least minor injuries. Wind chills plunged below 0F around 5 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the morning hours of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -31F was recorded at nearby Akron-Canton Airport at 1:51 PM December 23rd. Unfortunately, one fatality resulted due to prolonged exposure to this cold. In response to the conditions, warming centers were opened in Canton, Massillon, and Alliance during the storm. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Akron-Canton Airport measured 2.7 of snow with this storm. Trained spotters measured 3 of snow in Canton and 2.9 of snow in Alliance.

Winter Storm, Portage

When
December 23, 3:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Portage forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.168, -81.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 3 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind the frontal passage and into the morning hours of December 23rd before beginning to taper. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 35 MPH through the day.The Portage County Airport in Ravenna measured a peak wind gust of 43 MPH at 10:15 PM on December 23rd. A mesonet station in Rootstown also measured a 43 MPH wind gust at 10:37 AM. Surrounding airports measured stronger gusts, including a 51 MPH gust at 5:27 AM at Akron Fulton Airport and a 51 MPH gust at 2:32 PM at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. 1600 customers lost power at the peak of the storm. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th with a few accidents resulting in minor injury. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 6 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until early in the morning December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -30 degrees was reported at the Portage County Airport at 5:35 PM December 23rd. A warming center was opened in Ravenna in response to these conditions. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. The highest measured snowfall from the storm in the county was 3 , measured by a trained spotter in Hiram and a CoCoRaHS observer in Mantua. Trained spotters also measured 2.5 in Kent and 2.0 in Mogadore. A CoCoRaHS observer also measured 1.5 of snow near Ravenna.

Blizzard, Lake

When
December 23, 3:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Lake forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.714, -81.245 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 2 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow, with rates briefly up to 1 per hour, occurred behind the front into the morning hours of December 23rd with the snow trending lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 45 MPH through the day. A mesonet station in Wickliffe measured a peak wind gust of 57 MPH at 1:59 PM December 23rd. Lost Nation Airport clocked a peak gust of 51 MPH at 9:15 AM. Sporadic power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. Lost Nation Airport observed visibility consistently at or below one-quarter of a mile in falling snow and/or blowing snow from 5:55 AM December 23rd through 4:15 PM that day, with wind gusts consistently over 35 MPH for that entire period. This means blizzard conditions were observed in the county. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th with several accidents resulting in at least minor injuries. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 6 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until early in the morning December 26th. Lost Nation Airport reported a minimum wind chill of -30 degrees at 5:35 PM December 23rd. In response to these conditions, a warming center was opened in Painesville. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Trained spotters measured 5.3 of snow in North Madison and Mentor, 4.8 in Willoughby, 4.7 in Concord Township and 4 in Willowick and Mentor-on-the-Lake with this storm. Some light lake effect snow lingered into Christmas morning behind the storm.

Winter Storm, Geauga

When
December 23, 3:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Geauga forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.500, -81.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 2 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow, with rates briefly up to 1 per hour, occurred behind the front into the morning hours of December 23rd with the snow trending lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 35 MPH through the day. A mesonet station in Auburn measured a 42 MPH peak wind gust at 12:20 AM December 24th. Nearby airports in surrounding counties measured stronger peak gusts on December 23rd, with a gust of 51 MPH at 6:41 AM at Ashtabula County airport, a 49 MPH gust at 6:45 PM at Cuyahoga County airport, and a 51 MPH gust at 9:15 AM at Lost Nation Airport in Willoughby. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 6 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 degrees until the early morning hours December 26th. Mesonet stations recorded minimum wind chills on December 23rd of -33 degrees in Munson Township, -30 in Bainbridge and -29 in Chardon. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter in Thompson Township measured 6.5 of snow with this storm. Other select totals from spotters include 4.0 in Burton and Chardon and 3.3 near Auburn Township.

Winter Storm, Ashtabula

When
December 23, 4:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Ashtabula forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.896, -80.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 4 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow, with rates briefly up to 1 per hour, occurred behind the front into the morning hours of December 23rd with the snow trending lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 45 MPH through the day. A peak wind gust of 51 MPH was measured at 6:41 AM December 23rd at the Ashtabula County Airport. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. A few of these accidents resulted in at least minor injuries. The Ashtabula County Sheriff declared a Level 2 snow emergency on December 23rd which persisted into December 24th, which strongly discourages non-essential travel due to the winter weather conditions. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 7 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum Wind Chill of -29 degrees was reported at 5:35 PM December 23rd at the Ashtabula County Airport. In response to these conditions, a warming center was opened in Ashtabula during the storm. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter measured 6.0 of snow in Monroe Township with this storm. Elsewhere, a spotter measured 4.3 in Harpersfield Township, with other spotters measuring 3.0 in Cherry Valley and Pierpont.

Blizzard, Ashtabula Lakeshore

When
December 23, 4:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Ashtabula Lakeshore forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.896, -80.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 4 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow, with rates briefly up to 1 per hour, occurred behind the front into the morning hours of December 23rd with the snow trending lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 45 MPH through the day. A peak wind gust of 51 MPH was measured at 6:41 AM December 23rd at the Ashtabula County Airport. Sporadic tree damage and power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. Weather observing sensors at several airports near the lakeshore including Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland, Lost Nation Airport in Willoughby, and Erie International Airport reported several consecutive hours of visibility at or below one-quarter of a mile in snow and/or blowing snow with wind gusts frequently over 35 MPH on December 23rd. These conditions developed around 8 AM near the lakeshore in Ashtabula County and didn’t subside until about 5 PM, meaning blizzard conditions occurred. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. A few of these accidents resulted in at least minor injuries. The Ashtabula County Sheriff declared a Level 2 snow emergency on December 23rd which persisted into December 24th, which strongly discourages non-essential travel due to the winter weather conditions. Wind chills plunged below 0 around 7 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum Wind Chill of -29 degrees was reported at 5:35 PM December 23rd at the Ashtabula County Airport. In response to these conditions, a warming center was opened in Ashtabula during the storm. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. A trained spotter measured 3.8 of snow in Ashtabula with this storm. Some light lake effect snow lingered into Christmas morning behind the storm.

Winter Storm, Trumbull

When
December 23, 4:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Trumbull forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.317, -80.761 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 4 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of moderate to heavy snow, with snow rates of briefly up to 1 per hour, occurred behind the front early December 23rd before becoming lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 35 MPH through the day. A peak wind gust of 51 MPH was clocked at 2:32 PM December 23rd at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. Sporadic tree damage and a few power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. Several of these accidents resulted in at least minor injury. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 7 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -31 degrees was reported at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport at 5:51 PM December 23rd. Weather stations elsewhere in the county reported minimum wind chills of -30 degrees in both Newton Falls and Cortland around 2:00 PM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Weather observers at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport measured 4.3 of snow with the storm. Multiple measurements (from a trained spotter and CoCoRaHS observer) of 4.0 were received from Newton Falls. Trained spotters also measured 2.6 of snow in Gustavus Township and Cortland.

Winter Storm, Mahoning

When
December 23, 4:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 PM EST
Where
Mahoning forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.015, -80.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An Arctic cold front swept through the area around 4 AM December 23rd. Low pressure along this front tracked over Lake Erie early in the morning on December 23rd and rapidly intensified through the day while slowly lifting northeast across Ontario. With the frontal passage rain changed to snow with temperatures dropping from the upper 30s and lower 40s to sub-zero in about 8 hours. A period of light to moderate snow occurred behind the front early December 23rd before becoming lighter by midday. The period of snow and rapidly falling temperatures led to a flash freeze and icy conditions on area roadways. While the falling snow became lighter through the daytime hours of December 23rd, winds began increasing during the pre-dawn hours and gusted over 35 MPH through the day. A peak wind gust of 51 MPH was clocked at 2:32 PM December 23rd at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. Sporadic tree damage and a few power outages resulted. Wind gusts very gradually subsided into December 24th, though gusts didn’t drop below 30 MPH until that evening. This led to a prolonged period of widespread blowing and drifting snow beginning early in the morning December 23rd and continuing through the afternoon and evening, with some patchy blowing and drifting snow continuing all the way through Christmas Eve. The greatest impact from this storm was to travel due to the flash freeze and extensive blowing and drifting snow, to go along with low visibility. Numerous minor accidents, slide-offs and disabled vehicles were reported throughout the area on December 23rd and 24th. Over a dozen of these accidents resulted in at least minor injury. Wind chills plunged below 0 by 7 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -31 degrees was reported at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport at 5:51 PM December 23rd. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Weather observers at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport measured 4.3 of snow with the storm. Trained spotters measured 2.6 of snow in Austintown and 2.5 in Canfield.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Hancock

When
December 23, 5:00 AM EST to December 24, 4:00 AM EST
Where
Hancock forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.002, -83.666 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 2 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until the early morning hours of December 26th. Findlay airport recorded a wind chill of -36F at 9:53 AM December 23rd. A mesonet station in Findlay also measured a wind chill of -38F at 10:45 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across the area due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wyandot

When
December 23, 5:00 AM EST to December 24, 5:00 AM EST
Where
Wyandot forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
40.842, -83.304 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 4 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. A wind chill of -34F was recorded at 10:04 AM December 23rd on a mesonet station near Upper Sandusky. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Marion

When
December 23, 5:00 AM EST to December 24, 7:00 AM EST
Where
Marion forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
40.587, -83.161 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 4 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. A wind chill of -36F was recorded at 9:00 AM December 23rd on a mesonet station in Marion. Unfortunately, a 65 year old male lost his life due to prolonged exposure to this cold. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern and central Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wood

When
December 23, 6:00 AM EST to December 24, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Wood forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.362, -83.623 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 3 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until after 6 PM December 25th. The coldest wind chill recorded in the county was -36F on a weather station in Lemoyne at 10:46 AM December 23rd. Toledo Executive Airport recorded a wind chill of -32F at 10:53 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across the area due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Seneca

When
December 23, 6:00 AM EST to December 24, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Seneca forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
41.124, -83.128 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 4 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. A wind chill of -27F was recorded at 7:00 AM December 23rd on a mesonet station near Tiffin. Other nearby airports, such as Findlay and Fremont, recorded wind chills colder than -30F. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Morrow

When
December 23, 6:00 AM EST to December 24, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Morrow forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
40.524, -82.794 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 5 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. A wind chill of -37F was recorded at 9:40 AM December 23rd on a mesonet station near Galion. A station in Marengo measured a wind chill of -28F at 10:33 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern and central Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Knox

When
December 23, 6:00 AM EST to December 24, 3:00 AM EST
Where
Knox forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
40.399, -82.421 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 5 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. A wind chill of -35F was recorded at 9:55 AM December 23rd at the Knox County Airport.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Crawford

When
December 23, 6:00 AM EST to December 24, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Crawford forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
40.851, -82.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 5 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until late in the evening on December 25th. At nearby Mansfield Airport, a minimum wind chill of -35F was recorded at 11:52 AM December 23rd.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Richland

When
December 23, 6:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Richland forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
40.775, -82.536 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 5 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -36F was reported at Mansfield Airport at 11:52 AM December 23rd. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern and central Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lucas

When
December 23, 7:00 AM EST to December 24, 2:00 AM EST
Where
Lucas forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.684, -83.468 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 3 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until after 6 PM December 25th. The coldest wind chills occurred during the daytime hours of December 23rd. Minimum wind chills as low as -36F were recorded on a weather station near Ottawa Hills at 1055 AM December 23rd, with Toledo Express Airport recording a minimum wind chill of -29F at 10:32 AM. In response, warming centers were opened across the county. A number of burst pipes were reported across the area due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Ottawa

When
December 23, 7:00 AM EST to December 24, 11:00 AM EST
Where
Ottawa forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.497, -82.941 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 4 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until the early morning hours of December 26th. The lowest wind chill observed in the county was -37F on a weather station in Martin at 11:39 AM. Port Clinton Airport recorded a minimum wind chill of -36F at 12:15 PM. About one-dozen people took shelter at a warming center in Port Clinton due to losing power in those frigid conditions. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Sandusky

When
December 23, 7:00 AM EST to December 24, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Sandusky forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.357, -83.144 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 4 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the early morning hours of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -37 degrees was reported at 9:55 AM December 23rd at the Sandusky County Regional Airport. A weather station in Fremont reported a wind chill of -33 degrees at 11:00 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Erie

When
December 23, 7:00 AM EST to December 24, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Erie forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
41.432, -82.700 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 4 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the early morning hours of December 26th. A wind chill of -31 degrees was reported at 12:00 PM December 23rd on a weather station in Sandusky. A warming center was opened in Sandusky in response to these conditions. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Huron

When
December 23, 7:00 AM EST to December 24, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Huron forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
41.146, -82.598 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 6 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until the early morning hours of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -36F was recorded on a mesonet station in Bellevue at 3:05 PM December 23rd. In response, a church was opened as a warming center in Bellevue. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lorain

When
December 23, 7:00 AM EST to December 24, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Lorain forecast zone
Deaths
0 direct, 1 indirect
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.453, -82.151 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0F around 7 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0F until early in the morning December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -32F was measured at Lorain County airport at 12:53 PM December 23rd. Elsewhere, mesonet stations in Kipton and Lorain measured minimum wind chills of -34F at 10:20 AM and 11:15 AM respectively. In response, a warming center was opened at Lorain High School. An indirect fatality resulted on December 24th when a man with underlying health conditions died from exposure while shoveling snow in the cold conditions. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Ashland

When
December 23, 7:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Ashland forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
40.846, -82.271 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 6 AM December 23rd and did not rise above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A mesonet station in Ashland recorded a minimum wind chill of -41F at 11:35 AM December 23rd. A minimum wind chill of -36F was reported at Mansfield Airport at 11:52 AM, with a minimum wind chill of -36F also recorded at nearby Wayne County Airport at 12:19 PM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern and central Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Holmes

When
December 23, 7:00 AM EST to December 24, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Holmes forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
40.561, -81.929 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 5 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until late in the evening December 25th. A minimum wind chill of -34F was reported at 11:55 AM December 23rd at Holmes County Regional Airport. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern and central Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Wayne

When
December 23, 7:00 AM EST to December 24, 12:00 PM EST
Where
Wayne forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
40.829, -81.888 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 5 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until early in the morning December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -36F was reported by Wayne County Regional Airport at 12:19 PM December 23rd. A mesonet station in Dalton recorded a wind chill of -37F at 11:00 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across central and northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Medina

When
December 23, 8:00 AM EST to December 24, 10:00 AM EST
Where
Medina forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
41.118, -81.900 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 5 AM December 23rd and didn’t warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A mesonet station near Brunswick reported a minimum wind chill of -38F at 12:00 PM December 23rd. Elsewhere, mesonet stations recorded minimum wind chills of -33F in Homerville at 11:35 AM and -31F in Valley City at 12:35 PM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Cuyahoga

When
December 23, 8:00 AM EST to December 24, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Cuyahoga forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.479, -81.678 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 5 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until after sunrise December 26th. Cleveland Hopkins recorded a minimum wind chill of -34F at 11:51 AM December 23rd. Cuyahoga County Airport reported a wind chill of -33F at 12:45 PM, and Burke Lakefront Airport recorded a wind chill of -31F at 11:53 AM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Summit

When
December 23, 8:00 AM EST to December 24, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Summit forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.126, -81.532 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 5 AM December 23rd and didn’t warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -31F was recorded at 1:51 PM on December 23rd at Akron-Canton Airport, with a wind chill of -30F recorded at 1:54 PM at Akron Fulton. A mesonet station in Copley recorded a wind chill of -31F at 3:05 PM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning. Warming centers were also opened in Akron and Barberton in response.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Stark

When
December 23, 8:00 AM EST to December 24, 6:00 AM EST
Where
Stark forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
40.814, -81.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0F around 5 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the morning hours of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -31F was recorded at nearby Akron-Canton Airport at 1:51 PM December 23rd. Unfortunately, one fatality resulted due to prolonged exposure to this cold. In response to the conditions, warming centers were opened in Canton, Massillon, and Alliance during the storm. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Geauga

When
December 23, 9:00 AM EST to December 24, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Geauga forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
41.500, -81.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 6 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 degrees until the early morning hours December 26th. Mesonet stations recorded minimum wind chills on December 23rd of -33 degrees in Munson Township, -30 in Bainbridge and -29 in Chardon. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Portage

When
December 23, 9:00 AM EST to December 24, 9:00 AM EST
Where
Portage forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.168, -81.197 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 6 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until early in the morning December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -30 degrees was reported at the Portage County Airport at 5:35 PM December 23rd. A warming center was opened in Ravenna in response to these conditions. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lake

When
December 23, 10:00 AM EST to December 24, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Lake forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS
Coordinates
41.714, -81.245 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 6 AM December 23rd and did not warm above 0 until early in the morning December 26th. Lost Nation Airport reported a minimum wind chill of -30 degrees at 5:35 PM December 23rd. In response to these conditions, a warming center was opened in Painesville. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Trumbull

When
December 23, 10:00 AM EST to December 24, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Trumbull forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.317, -80.761 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 7 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -31 degrees was reported at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport at 5:51 PM December 23rd. Weather stations elsewhere in the county reported minimum wind chills of -30 degrees in both Newton Falls and Cortland around 2:00 PM. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Mahoning

When
December 23, 10:00 AM EST to December 24, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Mahoning forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.015, -80.776 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 by 7 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum wind chill of -31 degrees was reported at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport at 5:51 PM December 23rd. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Ashtabula Lakeshore

When
December 23, 11:00 AM EST to December 24, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Ashtabula Lakeshore forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.896, -80.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 7 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum Wind Chill of -29 degrees was reported at 5:35 PM December 23rd at the Ashtabula County Airport. In response to these conditions, a warming center was opened in Ashtabula during the storm. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Ashtabula

When
December 23, 11:00 AM EST to December 24, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Ashtabula forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
41.896, -80.759 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Wind chills plunged below 0 around 7 AM December 23rd and did not warm back above 0 until the morning of December 26th. A minimum Wind Chill of -29 degrees was reported at 5:35 PM December 23rd at the Ashtabula County Airport. In response to these conditions, a warming center was opened in Ashtabula during the storm. A number of burst pipes were reported across northern Ohio due to this cold, with temperatures remaining in the single digits until Christmas morning.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Blizzard, Sandusky2022-12-2359MaleVehicle/Towed TrailerIndirect
Blizzard, Sandusky2022-12-2330MaleVehicle/Towed TrailerIndirect
Blizzard, Sandusky2022-12-2337FemaleVehicle/Towed TrailerIndirect
Blizzard, Sandusky2022-12-2319FemaleVehicle/Towed TrailerIndirect
Winter Storm, Crawford2022-12-2334MaleVehicle/Towed TrailerIndirect
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Marion2022-12-2365MaleUnknownDirect
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Lorain2022-12-24MaleUnknownIndirect
Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Stark2022-12-24MaleUnknownDirect

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Blizzard
Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
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 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, December 2022

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: 1092379, 1092381, 1092382, 1092383, 1092384, 1092385, 1092386, 1092387, 1092388, 1092389, 1092390, 1092393, 1092394, 1092395, 1092399, 1092396, 1092397, 1092400, 1092401, 1092402, 1092403, 1092404, 1092405, 1092407, 1092411, 1092406, 1092408, 1092409, 1092410, 1092600, 1092610, 1092611, 1092599, 1092609, 1092612, 1092613, 1092614, 1092615, 1092598, 1092601, and more.