February 2001

Kidron 1N #2 (Wayne County) Ronald A. Hahn February this year was rather mild and dry. Temperatures averaged over 5 degrees above normal while precipitation was nearly one inch below normal. Snowfall was almost six inches below normal.

Cincinnati 5NW #13 (Hamilton County) Ronald E. Rothhaas Jr. February was a repeat of January, in contrast to December and a true indication of the re-appearance of La Nina. At +6.2 degrees F., February was balmy and with only 2/3 of normal rainfall. It was dry like January. Fortunately, with an abundance of sub-freezing nights, only moderate advances in tree buds and spring buds were noted by month's end. This month was largely uneventful except for a burst of snow on the 2nd. This late night heavy snow burst fell with an arctic front on warm pavement. Only one inch fell but it melted at first, then froze with plummenting temperatures just as rush hour began. Salt trucks could not make it to roads clogged with cars on nearly impassable streets. It took a good part of the morning to clear things up. This is about the sixth or eighth time in my lifetime that I have seen an event such as this with a burst of snow accompanying an arctic front. Most of the time, forecasters do not seem to be taken off guard but no warnings are issued due to a low total snowfall. However, in all such occurrences, I would rank the havoc wrought by such an event just short of full scale blizzard. On the 2nd there was one fatality. It makes no sense that this type of event is not warned just because it does not meet some pre-determined statistical criterion. I guess that statistics don't tell the whole story.

Streetsboro 2N #98 (Portage County) Vance Lunn February 2001 was somewhat mild with snowfall and liquid equivalent precipitation below normal. Despite this, the monthly mean temperature was actually colder than for each of the three past Februays in which I have kept records. The month began with temperatures just cold enough and with just enough snowfall to maintain the continuous winter snow cover until the 10th. I recorded the first zero snow depth since November 28th, on the 11th. That makes it 74 days of continuous snow cover. Deepest snow depth was only 2 inches. I had 9 days with fog, 1 day of freezing rain and 2 days on which sleet fell. No days had thunder.

Perrysville 4W #79 (Richland County) Katie Gerwig Temperatures averaged 10 degrees above normal for the month of February. Liquid precipitation was slightly below normal and snowfall much below normal. Very windy on the 10th and 25th. Overall, a rather breezy month.

Springfield 2N #1 (Clark County) Dick Groeber Overall, temperatures were above the station's 33 year averages while the precipitation was below normal. The temperatures continued their trend of high variability while the precipitation was scattered. Snowfall mostly during the first week of the month. Three major storm systems hit this month. The first was on the 9th. That was both the low barometric pressure at 29.56 inches and the high temperature of 66 degrees. It dropped 0.46 inch of rain. Winds with that low and cold front gusted to the strongest of the month at 41 mph. Temperatures fell to 16 degrees on the 11th. That was quickly followed by another system on St. Valentines Day which dropped off 0.64 inch of rain and saw high temperatures in the middle 50s. That strong cold front dropped temperatures to the low of the month of 11 degrees on the 18th. The third system was a deep low pressure trough that passed through the night of the 25th. It dropped off a quick 0.42 inch of rain with winds to 35 mph and temperatures around 60 degrees. Most of the snow fell early and totaled 2.3 inches during the first week. A late month snow shower gave an additional 0.3 inch.

Kent 2W #53 (Portage County) Eric Wertz February 2001 saw a more tranquil weather pattern set in from the previous month. While liquid equivalent precipitation was normal, total snowfall was of 4.6 inches for the month was below normal. Liquid equivalent precipitation was noted on 12 days with measurable snowfall occurring on six days. The majority of the snowfall fell during the first week. Two gale force wind events were noted during the month on the 9th and 25th in association with intense low pressure systems moving through the Great Lakes region. Heavies 24 hour rainfall was 0.66 inch on the 14th. A total of 5 advisories/watches/warnings were issued this month with two fog days and one glaze day.

Wooster 7N #16 (Wayne County) Jack Sisler Temperatures for the month of February were somewhat "balmy". The monthly mean temperature was almost five degrees above normal. There were no zero or below temperatures the entire month. The lowest was 11 degrees on the 18th. This was the second least snowiest February on record here with only five days with measurable snowfall and all were under one inch 24 hour snowfalls.