Winter Storm — Hamilton, Ohio

1996-03-19 to 1996-03-21 · Hamilton, Ohio

Wider weather episode

On the first day of spring a major winter snow storm struck the region. Low pressure moving ever so slowly across Pennsylvania was responsible for the snow, and this low also brought strong winds with gusts up to 40 mph. It was a heavy wet snow which ripped down power lines and trees. Highways became snow covered and slippery causing numerous traffic accidents. With temperatures near freezing, the snow amounts were dependent to some degree on minor changes in elevation, with the least amount of snow falling in the low lying areas near the Ohio river. Snow amounts ranged between 4 and 8 inches across most locations. Some areas near the Ohio river only had 2 to 3 inches of snow as the relatively warmer ground resulted in more melting. Over 10,000 customers were without power at times in the Cincinnati metropolitan area as power lines went down. One 38 year old male died of hypothermia in a suburb outside of Cincinnati.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5549201. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.