Winter Storm — Marion, Ohio

2021-02-15 to 2021-02-16 · Marion, Ohio

Event narrative

Two rounds of snow moved through northern Ohio on February 15 and 16. The first round on the morning of the 15th brought a quick inch or two of snow to the region. A more impressive second round of snow entered during the afternoon and evening hours, bringing snowfall rates in excess of one inch per hour and additional snow amounts of 6 to 10 inches to the region. Snow quickly exited during the early morning hours of the 16th, but strong northwest winds allowed for blowing and drifting of snow, impacting primarily east-west oriented roadways and slowing road cleanup. Travel was severely hampered in portions of Central Ohio and schools were closed on February 16 for much of the area. Total snowfall for the event in Marion County ranged from roughly 5 to 8 inches of snow. The maximum snowfall for this event was near Marion, where a CoCoRaHS Observer measured 7.5 inches of snow for the event. Another trained snow spotter south of Marion measured 5.2 inches of snow for the event.

Wider weather episode

Low pressure developed over the northern Gulf of Mexico on the morning of February 15 and moved northeast into the Tennessee and Ohio River Valleys through the afternoon and evening hours. Well ahead of this low pressure system, a band of snow overspread the region with a weak front during the morning hours of the 15th, allowing for a quick inch or two of snow across the area. As the low crept closer to the region, deepening over the Ohio/Pennsylvania border and bringing ample Gulf moisture into the region, a broader area of precipitation moved through the area during the afternoon and evening hours. For much of Northwest and North Central Ohio, this precipitation fell in the form of snow with snowfall rates over one inch per hour and visibility for one half mile or less during the late afternoon and evening hours. Snow totals in this region ranged from 8 to 15 inches and many Level Three snow emergencies were issued for impassable or high impacts on area roadways. Meanwhile, over Northeast Ohio, a nose of warmer air just above the surface allowed for snow to melt and for the end precipitation type to be a mix of sleet and freezing rain with snow accumulations less than 2 inches in several locations. Impacts across this region were much less significant, especially with well treated roadways ahead of the event. Behind the low pressure system, colder air surged into the region and lake effect snow developed over Lake Erie and entered Northeast Ohio on the 16th. By the late evening of the 16th, an additional 6 to 8 inches of snow fell in portions of the snow belt, adding to the wintry mix from the night before. For the entire event, the highest total snowfall measurement in Ohio was 15.5 inches by a trained snow spotter in the city of Bowling Green in central Wood County. Snowfall totals from area climate sites include: 14.5 inches at Toledo Express Airport, 7.6 inches at Mansfield Lahm Airport, 5.7 inches at Akron-Canton Airport, 5.1 inches at Cleveland Hopkins Airport, and 3.4 inches at Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport. There were no known injuries or fatalities in northern Ohio on account of this winter storm.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 949650. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.