Winter Storm Dumps Nearly A Foot Of Snow in Northeast Ohio

CLEVELAND -- The snowstorm that began Friday afternoon has left nearly a foot of new snow in some locations around northeast Ohio.

As predicted, the heaviest snowfalls occurred south of the Greater Cleveland area that was on the northern fringe of a large storm system that paralyzed the east coast with several feet of snow.

Nearly a foot of snow has fallen in Summit, Stark, Medina, Wayne, Richland, Ashland and Portage counties in the local Channel 3 viewing area according to the National Weather Service snow spotters and WKYC Weather Warriors.

The highest amounts reported through Saturday morning have been 12.4" at Mansfield's Lahm Airport, 11" in Doylestown in Wayne County, and 10.1" at the Akron Canton Airport in Summit County.

Snow will be ending quickly this afternoon, though scattered flurries may occur. No major, additional accumulations are expected for the rest of the weekend.

Click for snowfall reports across northeast Ohio

January In Review: Really Cloudy And Really Snowy

By Frank Macek

CLEVELAND -- January started the new year with plenty of clouds and snowfall that exceeded what northeast Ohio normally sees during the month.

According to the latest monthly report from the National Weather Service, the Cleveland area had partly to mostly cloudy skies every single day of the month.

WKYC Meteorologist Betsy Kling says "January is typically the cloudiest month of the year. That's why the month has the most depressing day of the year. Whether that is related to the weather or those holiday credit card bills is anyone's guess."

The month of January is also the snowiest. Old man winter blew 18.6 inches of snow our way during the month, just slightly more than normal.

Some areas in the snowbelt regions, like Pierpoint in Ashtabula County, saw more than 60 inches of snow in a seven day period thanks to lake effect snows that hammered northeast Ohio at the beginning of the month.

For the winter on 2009-2010, Cleveland stands at 26.7 inches of snow, with nearly 70% of that total falling in January.

Interestingly, the snow didn't provide enough liquid content to bring us anywhere close to near normal precipitation. The month saw 1.69 inches, or .79 inches below normal. The National Weather Service uses melted snow and rainfall to determine it monthly precipitation totals.

The Greater Cleveland area also continued its run of above normal temperatures during January that started in August 2009, thanks in part to an El Nino weather pattern.

January saw an average daily high of 32.0 degrees and an average morning low 22.2 degrees. That put the region 1.4 degrees above normal.

And if you are keeping track, our highest monthly temperature occurred on January 25th when we thought 52 degrees felt spring like. The lowest temperature fell to 6 degrees on January 10th.

The good news is, spring is just six weeks away.

Monthly Climate Reports

For monthly climate reports across the area, you can click on any of the following links:

• Akron/Canton
• Cleveland Hopkins
• Mansfield
• Youngstown
• Toledo

You can also download & print out Channel 3 Weather's monthly almanac with daily highs, lows, sunrise and sunset times, record highs and record lows for each day of the month:

• February almanac

How Much Do You Know About Groundhogs?

UNDATED -- On February 2, Punxsutawney Phil, the famous weather-predicting groundhog, will emerge from his burrow at Gobblers Knob in Pennsylvania to make his prediction about our winter weather.

Scientists know that groundhogs in Pennsylvania hibernate for about 100 days, from November to February. But what if Phil lived in South Carolina or Maine?

Believe it or not, groundhogs living in different parts of the country hibernate for different periods of time. South Carolina's groundhogs hibernate for 67 days, while Maine's groundhogs hibernate for 175 days.

Scientists aren't sure yet whether these differences happen because of environmental factors, like varied weather conditions, or if hibernation patterns are genetically-determined.

Think that's interesting? Here are a few more fun groundhog facts:

*Groundhogs are one of the few "true hibernators." True hibernators can reduce their body temperatures to nearly freezing and lower thier heart rates from as many as 350 beats per minute to just four beats per minute while they sleep away the winter.

*Groundhogs - also known as woodchucks - don't move or "chuck" wood as efficiently as beavers. But...how much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? One wildlife biologist estimated that if the typical groundhog's burrow was filled with wood instead of dirt, the animal would have "chucked" about 700 pounds!

WEATHER DATA BANK EXTRA

How has the groundhog accurately predicted Cleveland weather over the past 25 years, click to download our latest weather data bank comparsion of "the shadow" vs. "the outcome."

Weather Data Bank: February 2010 Weather Almanac Now Available

CLEVELAND -- Have an interest in tracking the daily weather across northeast Ohio?

Channel 3 Weather's monthly weather almanac gives you all the information you need on one easy to read page.

Our monthly almanac includes information for each day of the month: sunrise, sunset, normal high, normal low, record high, record low and dates of the 1st quarter, full moon, last quarter and new moon phases.

Then you can watch Channel 3 News at 11 PM for Betsy Kling's and AJ Colby's daily on-air weather almanac to write in each day's high, low and precipitation for the entire month.

You'll find a new almanac posted each month on our weather page (wkyc.com/weather) on the right hand column under "WKYC Weather Data Bank."

To save and print your own copy (.pdf file):


Can't view files in a .pdf format? Download a copy of the Adobe Reader: CLICK HERE

Snow Day: Students Swap Studies For Sleds in Rocky River

By Carl Bachtel
Channel 3 News Videographer

ROCKY RIVER -- Even if you're an adult, you probably remember how great it was to get a snow day and an extra day off from school.

Students in Rocky River put all the snow we've received over the past week or so to good use on Friday.

They swapped their studies for sleds on the Barrett Sled Riding Hill.

Video journalist Carl Bachtel has a look at the fun.

Warning: Chipping Away At Icicles Can Damage Gutter, Roof

By Eric Mansfield
Channel 3 News Reporter

AKRON -- It's a natural instinct to want to break giant icicles hanging from your home's gutters, but experts say it's a bad idea and can harm your roof.

"The best thing to do is to put calcium, or some type of a mild salt, on top of it to help melt the ice," said Tom Smith, owner of Coppersmith Roofing in Akron.

"When you begin to try to chip or break the ice, you will damage the roof itself or the gutters. In certain extreme cases, we have to take the gutter off of the home, which usually will destroy the gutter at this time of the year."

Smith said this current storm packs enough heavy snow to cause major roof problems once temperatures begin to rise and the snow begins to melt, especially for homes or buildings with a flat roof.

"It's a very dangerous situation of ponding water or it may actually back up on the roof as all this begins to melt," he said.

"(Water) can't exit the roof so the weight will become tremendous on these older structures."

Special Storm Coverage Available from WKYC.COM

Here is a list of links to find useful storm information from Channel 3 News and WKYC.COM:

• Winter Weather Tracker
• iAlerts Closings & Delay
• On Demand Video Forecast
• 36 Hour Weather Forecast
• Snowfall Totals
• WKYC Weather Twitter Feed
• ODOT Cleveland Twitter Feed
• ODOT Akron Twitter Feed
• Live Xband Radar
• Winter Weather Photos
• Wind Chill Index

Storm Summary: January 1st Through January 7th, 2010

The following are snowfall totals from the storm that affected northeast Ohio from January 1, 2010 until January 7th through 11 a.m.:

LOCATION          STORM TOTAL    TIME/DATE    COMMENTS
                     SNOWFALL       OF
                     (INCHES)   MEASUREMENT

OHIO

...ASHTABULA COUNTY...
   PIERPONT 2SE          61.3  1048 AM   1/7
   CONNEAUT I-90         21.1  1003 AM   1/7
   ASHTABULA 1SW         17.6  1000 AM   1/7
   ASHTABULA             16.4   901 AM   1/7

...CUYAHOGA COUNTY...
   SOLON                 32.5  1126 AM   1/7
   BROADVIEW HTS         20.7  1031 AM   1/7
   GARFIELD HTS          19.5  1109 AM   1/7
   SHAKER HTS            17.0  1002 AM   1/7
   NORTH ROYALTON        14.7  1047 AM   1/7
   CLEVELAND             11.5   932 AM   1/7
   EUCLID                 7.5   938 AM   1/7

...GEAUGA COUNTY...
   BAINBRIDGE            39.5  1026 AM   1/7
   THOMPSON 5SW          39.4  1048 AM   1/7
   MONTVILLE             38.3   800 AM   1/7
   HAMBDEN TWP.          36.2   700 AM   1/7
   CHAGRIN FALLS         33.5  1030 AM   1/7
   CHARDON               32.6  1027 AM   1/7
   RUSSELL TWP           28.5  1109 AM   1/7
   BURTON                26.0  1029 AM   1/7
   CHARDON               25.0   940 AM   1/7
   CLARIDON TWP          24.8  1003 AM   1/7

...LAKE COUNTY...
   MADISON               20.1  1110 AM   1/7
   CONCORD TWP.          17.0  1121 AM   1/7
   MADISON  5 S          15.5   931 AM   1/7
   KIRTLAND 4SW          11.2  1007 AM   1/7
   CONCORD TWP.          10.5  1049 AM   1/7

...LORAIN COUNTY...
   N RIDGEVILLE          10.1  1122 AM   1/7
   OBERLIN                4.7  1049 AM   1/7

...MAHONING COUNTY...
   BOARDMAN SE           13.5  1109 AM   1/7

...MEDINA COUNTY...
   MEDINA                12.4   930 AM   1/7

...PORTAGE COUNTY...
   KENT                  12.7  1111 AM   1/7

...STARK COUNTY...
   ALLIANCE               6.5   932 AM   1/7

...SUMMIT COUNTY...
   SAGAMORE HILLS        21.3  1007 AM   1/7
   TALLMADGE              6.0  1001 AM   1/7

...TRUMBULL COUNTY...
   MESOPOTAMIA           20.0  1122 AM   1/7
   KINSMAN               14.4   931 AM   1/7
   NEWTON FALLS          12.8  1122 AM   1/7
   WARREN                 5.8  1126 AM   1/7

Weather Data Bank: Changes of the Seasons in 2010

As head into 2010, Channel 3 Weather has put together a list of the changes of seasons for the new year.

Print out our flyer and keep it handy or print one out for your friends.

So, when does Spring, Summer, Fall & Winter officially begin?

To save and print your own copy (.pdf file):



Can't view files in a .pdf format? Download a copy of the Adobe Reader: CLICK HERE

Cleveland Storm Tests New ODOT Twitter Feeds

By Eric Mansfield
Channel 3 Reporter

CLEVELAND -- As morning traffic snarled to a crawl on Northeast Ohio's interstates, a new weapon of road information was becoming more popular by the minute.

ODOT's three-week old Twitter feeds have quickly added more than 3,000 followers as drivers look for up-to-the-minute information on state roads.

Monday's storm was the system's first real test.

"Don't use it while you're driving," said ODOT spokesman Justin Chesnic. "We'll send (tweets) early in the morning, or in the afternoon before you get behind the wheel. Use it to see how road conditions are or what we're doing out there during snow and ice. Maybe you can use it to allow some extra time if the road conditions have some slick spots on it."

There are six ODOT Twitter feeds representing six urban communities: Cleveland, Akron, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo and Dayton.

www.twitter.com/odot_cleveland
www.twitter.com/odot_akron
www.twitter.com/odot_cincinnati
www.twitter.com/odot_columbus
www.twitter.com/odot_toledo
www.twitter.com/odot_dayton

Monday's tweets were, at times generic, but by mid-afternoon, tweets included notes about which interstates were passable yet icy.

The state hopes to add more detail every day, Chesnic said.

December In Review: Not A December To Really Remember

By Frank Macek

CLEVELAND -- December 2009 ended up slightly warmer than normal across northeast Ohio.

For the month of December, the area saw temperatures that averaged about a half degree warmer than usual. This continued a several month trend of above normal temperatures during 2009.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures ranged from 53 degrees on December 3rd to a chilly 9 degree morning low on December 30th.

Overall, the average daily high was 37.8 degrees for December with a morning low of 25.5 degrees. Despite being Ohio's meteorological winter, December only saw 8 days with high temperatures below 32 degrees.

On the precipitation side, the Greater Cleveland area was drier than normal by .43" inches. This added to a drier than normal year that ended up nearly 3" below average (35.76" compared to a normal 38.70" of liquid precipitation).

Snowfall was also well below normal. December normally yields about 13.1" of snowfall each year. But in 2009, December saw just 6.9" of the white stuff at the National Weather Service Office at Cleveland Hopkins Airport.

Since July 1st, 8.1" of snow fell in the Cleveland area, compared to 18.6" during the first half of a normal Cleveland winter. However, 15 days during December did have at least a trace of snow measured at the airport.

For monthly climate reports across the area, you can click on any of the following links:

• Akron/Canton
• Cleveland Hopkins
• Mansfield
• Youngstown
• Toledo

You can also save & print out Channel 3 Weather's monthly almanac with daily highs, lows, sunrise and sunset times, record highs and record lows for each day of the month:

• January almanac

Time To Brush Up On Winter Driving Habits

By Paul Thomas
Channel 3 News Reporter

WILLOUGHBY HILLS -- From Brunswick to Mayfield Heights, cities across Northeast Ohio put snow parking bans into effect Friday to let snowplow drivers clear the streets.

Persistent snow bands covered roads and highways as fast as road crews could treat them with rock salt.

You don't have to tell tow truck driver Rusty Bissell that winter has arrived. He has seen driving conditions change from clear roads to white-out conditions in a matter of minutes.

"I've been on call since, like, Christmas Eve," Bissell said, after he righted an overturned SUV next to Interstate 90 Friday.

"I haven't had any time to sleep. I've been running ragged."

Snowplow driver George Helwagen, of Concord Township, geared up Friday night for what he expected could be a long weekend of pushing the snow.

"I'm expecting anywhere from four to twelve inches of snow," Helwagen said. "We're going to be out for a while. (Drivers) have got to be really careful."

Rare New Year's Eve 'Blue Moon' To Ring In 2010

Once in a blue moon there actually is a blue moon on New Year's Eve.

There'll be a so-called blue moon around for the New Year's countdown on Thursday.

According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't expect it to be blue -- the name has nothing to do with its color.

This month's first full moon occurred on Dec. 2.

On New Year's Eve, a full moon will be visible in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa.

For purists, however, a blue moon is an extra full moon in a typical three-moon season. So this New Year's Eve full moon doesn't count.



---
Source: The Associated Press

Weather Data Bank: January 2010 Almanac Now Available

CLEVELAND -- Have an interest in tracking the daily weather across northeast Ohio?

Channel 3 Weather's monthly weather almanac gives you all the information you need on one easy to read page.

Our monthly almanac includes information for each day of the month: sunrise, sunset, normal high, normal low, record high, record low and dates of the 1st quarter, full moon, last quarter and new moon phases.

Then you can watch Channel 3 News at 11 PM for Betsy Kling's and AJ Colby's daily on-air weather almanac to write in each day's high, low and precipitation for the entire month.

You'll find a new almanac posted each month on our weather page (wkyc.com/weather) on the right hand column under "WKYC Weather Data Bank."

To save and print your own copy (.pdf file):



Can't view files in a .pdf format? Download a copy of the Adobe Reader: CLICK HERE