It's Impossible To Forget These 6 Horrific Winter Storms That Have Gone Down In Cleveland History
By Nikki Rhoades|Updated on November 16, 2022(Originally published November 11, 2022)
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
Winter in Cleveland can be brutal. Fueled by lake effect snow from Lake Erie, our lovely landscape can go from green and lush to snow-covered and frozen in a matter of mere hours. Nonetheless, winters here aren’t always so bad… until they’re so horrifyingly relentless that they’ve become permanently cemented in local memory. The following six winter weather events revisit the worst winter freezes and snowstorms in Cleveland’s history. How many of these intense blizzards in Ohio do you remember?
February of 1910 was perhaps one of the chilliest in modern history. Since Clevelanders started keeping track of weather patterns in 1871, a few snowy years, in particular, have stood out. While there likely aren't any modern Clevelanders that have memories of this snowy season, it stands as one of the snowiest winters on record. Throughout this season, 81.6 inches of snow fell on Cleveland. That's over six feet of snow! This was one incredible blizzard in Ohio that will probably never be topped... we hope. Seriously... let's not do this again, okay?
November is never a great time of year for snow. Locals are gearing up for Thanksgiving and holiday shopping, but in 1913, they were bundled up and avoiding local streets. From November 9 to 11, Cleveland was battered by vicious weather. Barometric levels fell to 28.78" and winds picked up to nearly 60 miles per hour. 22.2 inches of snow fell across three days, overwhelming snow plows and leaving many locals snowed into their homes. 32 Great Lakes ships were lost in the event, solidifying it as a true tragedy in Cleveland's history. This storm eventually came to be known as The White Hurricane, and it redefined winter in Ohio for sure. Will we ever see another event like this? Sure - we have, and we will!
Speaking of memorable winter events, if you have ever heard an older Clevelander complain about winters of yesteryear, they may be referring to the Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 in particular. Remembered locally as the Thanksgiving Blizzard, this shocking weather event spanned five long days. Temperatures fell to around 5 degrees Fahrenheit and low pressure and strong winds caused the airport to shut down. Locally, snowdrifts piled up and thousands were forced to abandon their cars. Due to abandoned cars and emergency conditions, snow removal equipment all but halted. Clevelanders reeled from the event for a full week, ultimately racking up a bill of over $1 million in damages. Yikes. Winter might be beautiful, but we sure aren't thrilled with how destructive it can be...
1977 started off on a low note - in terms of temperature, that is. As January kicked off, the average temperature was 17 degrees lower than usual. As 1977 marched on, it set records as the coldest year Cleveland had ever seen. This was just the start of the most memorable storm in the city's history, though. As 1977 turned into 1978, a cyclone formed over Ohio on January 26th, and 82 mile per hour wind gusts shook family homes and chilled locals to the core, bringing with it wind chills of nearly -100 degrees Fahrenheit. 110,000 Greater Cleveland homes lost power, and though less than eight inches of snow fell on the city, unimaginably deep snowdrifts popped up all over the region.
In January of 1985, Cleveland experienced some of the coldest temperatures imaginable. From January 18 to the 22, cold descended upon every state east of the Rockies. While Clevelanders were arguably more equipped to deal with the snow and cold than our southern neighbors, nobody could have been prepared for such incredible cold. Just take a look at those numbers below zero in the news report above. Brr! This event is now known as the 1985 North American cold wave. Snow days are always fun for the kids, but not so much the rest of us. This was a good example of that.
Just after the winter solstice gave way to December 22 in 2004, locals were battered by snow. As Christmas approached, the last thing anyone needed (or prepared for) was an ice storm. This, combined with snowstorms all across the state, led to uncontrollable flooding. As 2004 ended, 2005 didn't bring much relief to locals. An Alberta Clipper passed over the region in January of 2005. All in all, the winter of 2004 and 2005 became the snowiest on record, accumulating 117.9 inches of snow in Cleveland. The amazing winter solstice storm of 2004 would go down in history forever. Winter solstice is nice until it's covered in tons of fluffy, white snow.
These shocking blizzards in Ohio are among the worst winter storms in Cleveland’s history. Do you recall any of these shocking winters? Are there any other seasons that you would add to this list? Share your thoughts in the comments!
New to Cleveland? Welcome! These winter weather events are certainly shocking, but they’re definitely not the norm. Check out our tips for surviving a Cleveland winter to prepare for the upcoming season!
If you can’t get enough of amazing Ohio and all its natural beauty, Cleveland is far from the only amazing place you ought to enjoy this season. Be sure to explore some of the most scenic places in Ohio in winter, do an amazing winter road trip in OH this season, and if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll see some snow rollers.
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More to Explore
List Of Blizzards In Ohio
Tori Jane|November 16, 2022
How severe was the Cleveland blizzard of 1978?
The Cleveland blizzard of 1978 went down as one of the area’s most significant in history. It took the lives of many people and it included terrifying “highlights” such as:
70+ fatalities, 50 of which were in Ohio
80+ mile per hour wind gusts in certain areas of the state
Very tall snowdrifts contributed to the city essentially shutting down for days
2. What is winter in Ohio like?
Winter in Ohio is a gorgeous time of year – as long as you’re a fan of snow and the cold! Luckily, there are plenty of wonderful things to do in Ohio during the winter like:
