Ohio, 2022

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Ohio, January 6 to 7, 2022

January 6 to 7, 2022 · NWS RLX · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A low pressure system crossed to the south of the Central Appalachians on January 6th, bringing abundant moisture to the area. This disturbance congealed with a cold airmass dropping down from the Upper Midwest and resulted in precipitation to fall as all snow throughout the afternoon and evening hours.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
7

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 RLX wrote it up.

A low pressure system crossed to the south of the Central Appalachians on January 6th, bringing abundant moisture to the area. This disturbance congealed with a cold airmass dropping down from the Upper Midwest and resulted in precipitation to fall as all snow throughout the afternoon and evening hours. A swath of 6 to 12 inches of snow covered most areas from south of I-64 in northeast Kentucky northeastward across a large portion of West Virginia. Lesser amounts fell along the Ohio River and northwest into the state of Ohio, where totals of 2 to 4 inches were more common.

Snow began to fall around 2 PM that afternoon with 1 to 2 inch per hour snowfall rates. This quickly laid upon the highways and secondary roads, which posed a nuisance for the evening travel commute on the 6th. All major highways around southeast Ohio observed longer than normal travel times and eventual closures due to slick spots and vehicle accidents. Overnight freezing temperatures and light lake-effect snow showers also resulted in a slow morning commute on the 7th.

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 Charleston, WV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 5, 2:05 PM EST, 21 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 5, 2:05 PM EST, 21 hours 55 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 winter weather, 2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Lawrence

When
January 6, 12:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Lawrence forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
38.599, -82.537 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Washington

When
January 6, 12:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Washington forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
39.455, -81.495 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Athens

When
January 6, 12:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Athens forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
39.334, -82.045 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Meigs

When
January 6, 12:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Meigs forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
39.082, -82.023 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Vinton

When
January 6, 12:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Vinton forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
39.251, -82.485 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Jackson

When
January 6, 12:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Jackson forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
39.020, -82.618 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Gallia

When
January 6, 12:00 PM EST to January 7, 8:00 AM EST
Where
Gallia forecast zone
Reported by
Post Office
Coordinates
38.825, -82.317 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Ohio in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Ohio, January 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: 992131, 992132, 992133, 992134, 992135, 992136, 992564.