Winter Storm — Mahoning, Ohio

2008-03-07 to 2008-03-08 · Mahoning, Ohio

Event narrative

Snow began during the morning hours of the 7th and continued through the day. Snow was light to moderate during the afternoon with visibilities around a half mile. The snow tapered off a bit to flurries during the evening hours. By late evening, snow mixed with sleet and freezing rain. Only trace amounts of ice were reported across the area that evening. Precipitation changed back to primarily snow during the overnight hours, but a mixture of sleet and freezing rain was noted across the area at times through the morning hours. By afternoon, precipitation changed to all snow across the area and then tapered to flurries during the late evening hours. Winds across the area gusted to around 30 mph at times on both the 7th and 8th. Numerous accidents were reported during this storm. Snowfall totals for this event ranged from 8.0 to 12.0 inches across the area with 8.1 inches reported in Austintown. The sleet and freezing rain mixing in with the snow reduced snowfall amounts across the area for this event as compared with locations just to the west.

Wider weather episode

On the morning of March 7th, low pressure was located along the Gulf Coast States. Snow spread into the region during the morning and afternoon hours, then tapered off a bit during the evening and overnight into the 8th. Snow intensified across the area as low pressure moved north into the Carolinas by the morning of the 8th. Snow persisted across much of the area, but did mix with sleet and freezing rain at times across far eastern Ohio. By the evening hours of the 8th, snow began tapering off from west to east. Any areas of mixed precipitation across far eastern Ohio changed back to snow before ending. The low pressure continued intensifying as it moved into New England by the morning hours of the 9th. Some light snow and flurries persisted overnight, mainly from around Cleveland and points east, but by midday on the 9th the snow tapered off across the entire area. Throughout this event, locations across northwest Ohio picked up between 5.0 and 10.0 inches. Those locations experienced a rather steep gradient for snowfall totals. In eastern Ohio, snowfall amounts were slightly lower as sleet and freezing rain mixed in at times causing reduced snowfall amounts. Locations across northeast and north-central Ohio saw the greatest snowfall amounts with 21.5 inches in Broadview Heights in Cuyahoga County, and 21.0 inches in Galion located in Crawford County.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 89573. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.