Above: Comparison of January/February snowfall totals between last year and this year
Well, January and February have come to an end and warmer weather has already entered the picture. January came in the same way that the last few months of 2014 exited: with not too much snowfall. The month was full of relatively minor snow events, with many storms of two inches or less. However, it did have its fair share of ice accumulation across much of the area. However, the winter really took a turn toward the cold and snowier side as January ended and February began. This is when the region saw record-breaking snowfall and cold, as winter weather really occurred in full force...so let's review the time period.
As stated above, January was mainly filled with relatively minor snowfall events, generally from fast moving clipper systems. In no spot was this more evident than Chicago, where 14 events occured of three inches or less (most below two inches). This could also be said for Indianapolis, Dayton, Cincinnati, and Columbus. Though O'Hare International Airport's January snow total ended up in double-digits at 13.9", places like Indianapolis and Cincinnati ended up with 3.1" and 1.2" respectively. One notable storm occurred January 5-7, with a system moving through the Ohio Valley, bringing 3.5 - 4.0" of snow to Dayton and Columbus, which accounted for roughly half of each city's January snowfall.
The main storm that occurred in January was a major ice storm which greatly affected Indianapolis, Dayton, and Columbus. A low pressure system off to the south brought in moisture and warm air aloft, which fell on an already freezing surface. This system produced a small amount of snow/sleet, but freezing rain amounted to 0.10 - 0.25" of ice for the three aforementioned cities (O'Hare recorded 2.6" of snow and Cincinnati had some patchy ice).
As January came to an end, February stole March's slogan and came in like a lion. A major snowstorm pushed through the Chicago area between January 31st and February 2nd, and during this time, O'Hare International Airport set a daily snowfall record on the 1st, with 16.2" (storm total was 19.3"). This storm contributed to most of the city's February snowfall, which topped out at 26.8" (2.2" short of their all-time February record). Later in the month, other major cities in the area cashed in on decent snowfall, like the February 21-22 snowstorm that set daily snowfall records in Cincinatti and Columbus (5.9" and 6.8" on the 21st respectively). Finally, Indianapolis saw some major accumulation due to a slow-moving frontal boundary moving through the area between February 28th and March 2nd to end out the month. Indianapolis recorded 7.9", and Dayton received 5.0" from the storm.
Above: Radar image of a snowstorm which produced 19.3" of snow at O'Hare in Chicago
Snow wasn't the only thing setting records in February: a series of Arctic blasts led to record-breaking cold spells across the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes throughout the month. A brutally cold day on the 19th recorded the lowest high temperatures ever for that date in Chicago (4°), Indianapolis (9°), Dayton (8°), Columbus (8°), and Cincinnati (6°). Then, the following day, Cincinnati had the lowest temperature ever reported on the 20th at -12°, which shattered the old record of -7° set in 1885. O'Hare also recorded a daily record low of -10° on the 28th, while Columbus had a few days of frigid air to end out the month, with records for daily lows set on the 24th (-11°) and 28th (0°). In the end, Chicago tied with 1875 for their coldest February ever, with an average temperature of 14.6°.
While snowfall amounts for January and February may not have matched those of the same time period in 2014, these months still had their fair share of memorable events, from snowstorms to ice storms to record-breaking cold. It just goes to show that eye-popping numbers aren't everything when it comes to the weather.
