Looking at the calendar, meteorological winter is nearing its midpoint. Typically, this means consistent chances for snow and chilly temperatures. However, the weather has been far from wintry so far this season.

What You Need To Know

  • January is usually the snowiest month in Ohio

  • Most of Ohio is below average with snowfall

  • In some cities, snowfall deficits are in the double digits

  • Warmer-than-average temperatures are likely to linger this month

Aside from a few rounds of lake-effect snow and the arctic blast that affected Ohio just before Christmas, this season has failed to produce much in the way of significant snowfall. Most communities have only picked up a few inches of accumulation so far.

Oddly enough, Cincinnati has had more snow than lake-effect prone Cleveland. Compared to what’s typical, however, we can see Cincinnati is closer to normal.

Cleveland, on the other hand, is more than 16 inches below normal. Double digit snowfall deficits are quite common throughout northern Ohio, including Toledo and Youngstown.

Even though most areas have had measurable snow, most of the precipitation this season has either been as rain or lacking altogether. In fact, drought conditions are still present across western and northern sections of the state, including the Snowbelt.

Climatology tells us that central and southern Ohio typically pick up between 5 and 10 inches of snow during the month of January. In northern Ohio, those averages are higher, with many areas usually expecting over 12 inches of snow.

As of Jan. 12, much of the state has had only a half-inch or less. Of course, there are still many more days left in January. February is the second-snowiest month in Ohio, meaning we still have plenty of time to experience more snowfall.

The short-term outlook for snow lovers is bleak, however. While we have a good chance of above-average precipitation, we also have a significant chance of continuing our above-average temperature trend. Any snow we see may not stick around for long.

For the latest weather updates, including the next chance for snowfall in Ohio, check out our daily weather forecast.

Our team of meteorologists dives deep into the science of weather and breaks down timely weather data and information. To view more weather and climate stories, check out our weather blogs section.