Ohio Winter Safety Week 2009

Northeast Ohio Winter Climatology

Photo copyright University Corporation for Atmospheric Research. Used with permission.

As we move into late fall, it is once again time to refresh your memory about winter weather hazards and how you can plan for the life-threatening situations that winter weather can bring.

Each year, many people take winter weather too lightly, which often results in serious injury or even death.

During this week, please take some time to read and listen to information about winter storms and winter weather terminology. More importantly, please review how you can protect yourself from extreme cold, snow, and other winter hazards.

Snow across Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania generally occurs in two ways:

1. From organized weather systems that cross over or near the region. During a typical winter, these weather systems bring a number of small snowfalls of 2 inches or less. Several times a year the region may be threatened by a well-developed storm system that has the potential to produce heavier snow of 6 inches or more. Storm systems can be difficult to predict at times. A small shift in the storm track can mean the difference between shoveling and partly cloudy skies.

2. Lake Effect Snow occurs when very cold air flows across the Great Lakes during the winter months and absorbs moisture. The moisture is then condensed out east and south of the Great Lakes. The result is cloudiness and snow showers. This 'Lake Effect' snow adds substantially to the winter snowfall across portions of Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania.

Over portions of our region, heavy amounts of Lake Effect snow can occur. The close proximity to Lake Erie and the higher terrain of Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania causes substantial Lake Effect snow during a typical winter. Parts of the "snowbelt" of extreme Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania receive over 100 inches of snow each season.

Ohio/Northwest Pennsylvania Snowfall (Inches)

AVERAGE
AKRON-CANTON ....................... 47.9 ......
CINCINNATI OH/COVINGTON KY ......... 22.9 ......
CLEVELAND .......................... 63.3 ......
COLUMBUS ........................... 29.2 ......
DAYTON ............................. 29.3 ......
MANSFIELD .......................... 45.4 ......
TOLEDO ............................. 37.6 ......
YOUNGSTOWN ......................... 55.0 ......
ERIE PA ............................ 86.1 ......

Note; The records taken at local airports and normal is based on 30 year averages from the most recent statistics available.

Winter Weather Forecasts are available 24 hours a day from the National Weather Service. Forecasts are issued 4 times each day and updated as often as necessary.

NOAA Weather Radio is produced and generated at weather offices across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and around the nation. Weather information is distributed on special FM radio frequencies (162.400, 162.425, 162.450, 162.475, 162.500, 162.525, and 162.550 Mhz) from several transmitters sites in and around Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Specially designed weather radios are automatically alarmed and activated by the local National Weather Service office when a severe weather warning is issued. In this way, you can be alerted to severe weather warnings almost immediately!

NOAA Weather Radio receivers are available at local electronics retailers or as a special frequency on certain AM/FM radio receivers.

Local forecasts for the greater Stark County area are available any time for select cities within the county at http://starkcountyweather.com

Gary Garnet
Warning and Coordination Meteorologist
National Weather Service, Cleveland