Winter 1998-99 Review

The winter of 1998-'99 started and ended quiet and mild. There was virtually no snow in November and April. Most of the winter weather occurred in 2 rounds and the two rounds of snow and cold were significant. The seasonal snow ended as much as 20% above normal. The first batch of snow and cold was from late December into mid January. A notable lake effect snow occurred early on December 31st when a narrow Lake Huron snow band parked over Ashtabula and northern Trumbull County in extreme northeast Ohio. Jefferson and Williamsfield picked up 20 inches of snow while there was very little snow just a few miles away. The wind shifted and the lake effect snow ended up in Erie County, PA and much of the county got 12-18 inches of New Years Eve snow. Youngstown set their January snowfall record with 36.4 inches. Parts of Erie County, PA got over 70 inches of snow in January alone, almost all of it coming in the first half of the month. Snow on the ground exceeded 3 feet in some areas. Some freezing rain occurred and the snow was like a glacier in many areas. The second round of snow and cold waited until early March. Snow during the first half of March was well above normal. Seasonal snow totals in northern Ohio ranged from 30 to 40 inches across much of northwest Ohio with 40 to 50 inches elsewhere except in the snowbelt of extreme northeast Ohio where over 100 inches fell in northern Geauga County. Seasonal totals in northwest Pennsylvania ranged from 70 to 100 inches near Lake Erie with 90 to 170 inches inland in the heart of the snowbelt near Edinboro in Erie County, Pennsylvania.

Winter temperatures were somewhat above normal for the season with February 1999 being above normal at all sites.

Summary of Snowfall at Climate Sites
1998-'99	Oct 98	Nov 98	Dec 98	Jan 99	Feb 99	Mar 99	Apr 99	May 99	Total 98-99
Toledo	0.0	0.0	0.5	21.9	7.3	12.7	0.0	0.0	42.4
Mansfield	0.0	0.0	3.1	22.0	10.3	11.9	T	0.0	47.3
Cleveland	0.0	0.1	6.9	29.6	14.2	11.6	T	0.0	62.4
Akron-Canton	T	T	4.2	24.3	9.7	18.6	T	0.0	56.8
Youngstown	T	0.1	10.0	36.4	8.8	14.3	T	0.0	69.6
Erie PA	0.0	0.4	28.3	57.9	9.7	14.8	T	0.0	111.1