Yep. We're facing a few inches of snow this weekend across Northern Ohio. And, if you're like me, you're ready for warmer weather.
But, April is no stranger to snow here in Northern Ohio. In fact, we've had a few memorable snow events during this month that normally is associated with warmth, rain and green.
Perhaps the biggest April snow storm to impact Northern Ohio is the one you've probably never heard of. It's the Great Snowstorm of April 19-21, 1901.
This snow event was epic in its scope. It would go down as one of the biggest snow events ever for Ohio in any winter month. But, the fact that it occurred close to the end of April is even more extraordinary!
Here's the set-up: Low pressure over Texas gained strength on April 18, gathering lots of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. The low was forecast to move directly east through Georgia the next day. Instead, it turned northeast through Virginia into Pennsylvania. The storm slowed drastically, thanks to strong high pressure over the northeast Atlantic Ocean. This allowed portions of Eastern Ohio to see 30 to 50 hours of steady snow over the course of 3 days!
The snow totals were dramatic. a swath of 2 feet or more through Trumbull, Portage, Southern Summit, Stark and Tuscarawas Counties. Canton, Ohio measured 2 inches on April 19th. And then was pounded by 24 inches on the 20th and an additional 16 inches on the 21st. It all added up to 42 inches of snow for the event! Volunteer Weather Observer CF Stokey wrote this about the Canton snow:
“April 18th to 21st greatest snow storm ever known here in April. Temperature about 32 [degrees Fahrenheit] all the time & snow settled, “packed,” rapidly. Drifts 10 ft. reported; 4 ft. deep seen. Some snow remained in shaded drifts until 1st of May.”
Areas near Youngstown and Warren saw 37.5 inches of snow. 30 of those inches fell on the 20th of April! According to reports, the snow in Alliance (Stark County) was fully 3 feet deep, stopping all train traffic, many of which became stuck in the snow. Hundreds of roofs collapsed.
Around the heaviest snow band, was a band of 12 to 24 inch snowfall, from Wooster to Medina, Akron, Cleveland and east along the shore to Erie, Pa. All phone lines and telegraph lines were wrecked by the storm. Travel and communication in and out of Eastern Ohio was virtually impossible.
It was truly a crippling and historic snow storm for Ohio. And it hit in April!
