OHIO — Ohio has a documented history of producing single-storm snowfall totals of a foot or more in February, based on long-term weather records, although such events are relatively uncommon.
February is climatologically one of the coldest months in Ohio, which increases the likelihood that major winter storm systems produce snow rather than rain.
Historical data from the National Weather Service show that multiple regions of the state — including northern Ohio, central Ohio, and areas influenced by Lake Erie — have recorded 12 inches or more of snow from a single storm during February in past years.
In northern Ohio, lake-enhanced and lake-effect snow has played a significant role in some of the state’s largest February snowfalls.
When very cold air moves across the relatively warmer waters of Lake Erie, narrow but intense snow bands can form, occasionally producing double-digit snowfall totals in a short period of time. Separately, large-scale winter storms tracking through the Ohio Valley or along the Appalachian region have also produced widespread heavy snow across much of the state.
The largest February snowstorms in Ohio’s history have typically occurred when cold Arctic air was already in place and a strong low-pressure system moved slowly through or near the region, allowing heavy snow to persist for many hours. In some cases, these systems combined widespread snowfall with lake enhancement, increasing totals in northeast Ohio.
While most February storms in Ohio result in lighter accumulations, historical climate records clearly show that a single storm producing around a foot of snow has occurred in the past and remains a documented possibility under the right atmospheric conditions.
