Winter 2022-23 Recap - Part II - Snowfall

January 2023

Snowfall across northern Ohio has been well below normal for 8 straight winters now.

Snow totals for northern Ohio via NWS:

The last winter with above normal snowfall was 2014-15. Even that winter was only a few inches above average.

Here is an animation showing the last 7 winters snowfall for northern Ohio. The last winter the snowfall had widespread 120" snow totals was the winter 2017-18.

2014-15 winter snowfall totals.  The last well above normal snowfall winter.

Here are the snowfall totals going back to the late 1930s at Hopkins Airport.

Snowfall history for Cleveland since 1893 (Cleveland downtown then Hopkins Airport)

Our first snow was in late October

The snow was highly localized around the Great Lakes. Most was due to lake effect.

Western New York was hit with a huge lake effect snow event a week before Thanksgiving.

We had another snowfall around Christmas.  Amounts were fairly low but widespread.

The overall winter storm track was well north of the Ohio Valley.  The track of the five big snow events illustrates this very well.

Using the winter storm severity index (more on that HERE), the mid December snow storm was ranked the 4th worst in the last 30 years

Christmas week snowfall

Mid January snowfall

Late February snowfall

It wasn't until mid March before the pattern changed allowing snowfall to shift south into Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Really detailed animation showing snowfall vs normal from the start of the season through the end. H/T Jered Rennie

A closer look at the snowfall departures around the Great Lakes.  Above normal snowfall from central Iowa, Wisconsin and the northern Great Lakes.(blue colors).  Tan colors show below normal snowfall

Here are the final daily snowfall/snow on the ground details for northern Ohio: