CLEVELAND -- The winter of 2010-2011 will go down in the Cleveland weather history books with above normal snowfall as northeast Ohio got more than its fair share of snow.
Through the end of April, the season snow tally stood at 69.3 inches, or 6.3 inches more snow than we normally get. Chardon, in the heart of the snowbelt, wound up with 151.3 inches by comparison.
Cleveland was no where near record territory this season. A review of National Weather Service records since 1950 shows this winter was only the 19th snowiest, if that is any consolation to those who found this year to be a long winter mentally.
Our heaviest snows this year fell on February 25th with 8.9 inches, March 11th with 5.2 inches, January 12th with 5.1 inches and February 1st with 4.1 inches.
Many Clevelanders wondered if winter was ever going to get started last fall. Our first measurable snow held off until December 1st when one tenth of an inch of snow came down at Hopkins Airport.
The late start put 2010 in second place with 251 consecutive snow free days. Only 1946 had more consecutive days without snow at 267 days.
If you really wanted a winter wonderland, Youngstown was the place to be. That city was the snowiest location in northeast Ohio thanks to lake effect snowstorms that hammered the eastern part of the area. Youngstown recorded 118.7 inches of snow, or five feet more than usual.
WKYC Meteorologist Betsy Kling says La Nina was very much in play this winter. "La Nina was responsible from bringing us energy from the west, while cold air was pulled down from the north thanks to a strong Northern Atlantic Oscillation pattern," says Kling.
Storm tracks also played a role. "At first, we had a northern storm track that brought lots of snow to places like Minneapolis and nothing to Ohio. Then the track shifted south and that brought snow for the East Coast and finally into Ohio."
Northeast Ohio can only hope winter is finally over after April saw on a trace of snow at the very start of month. However, snow has fallen in May with 29 days in the last 60 years being recorded with measurable amounts including on May 6th, 1974, when two inches covered the blooming May flowers.
Here are how some official reporting locations ended the 2010-2011 winter season -
Across Northern Ohio:
- Cleveland: 69.3 inches (+6.3 inches)
- Akron/Canton: 65.3 inches ( +18.5 inches) *9th snowiest
- Youngstown: 118.7 inches (+64.3 inches) *All time snowiest
- Mansfield: 59.1 inches (+14.1 inches) *6th snowiest
- Toledo: 49.7 inches (+12.4 inches)
- Chardon: 151.3 inches
Across Southern Ohio:
- Columbus: 28.7 inches (-.9 inches)
- Dayton: 26.5 inches (-3.0 inches)
- Cincinnati: 35.2 inches (+11.6 inches)
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