Snowiest Day On Record: The Day Lorain County Saw Most Snowfall

CLEVELAND — Only a few centenarians may remember April 15, 1921, the day it snowed 76 inches in Boulder County, Colorado. Snowfall records for a single day aren’t quite as impressive in Lorain County, according to an analysis of government weather data.

Historical weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows every state in the country, even tropical Hawaii, has seen snow. A February 1936 storm that dumped 6½ inches of snow on Maui was impressive even by Midwest and Northeast standards. The only other time that Hawaii had an extreme snowfall was in December 1958, when the Big Island got 4½ inches.

In Lorain County, the biggest one-day snowfall saw 16.5 inches fall on Nov. 25, 1950. In Ohio, the record goes to Trumbull County, when it snowed 30 inches on April 20, 1901.

Here's the single-day snowfall record for other Northeast Ohio counties:

• Cuyahoga County — 17.4 inches on Nov. 10, 1913
• Geauga County — 18.9 inches on Jan. 4, 2010
• Lake County — 21 inches on Nov. 24, 1950
• Summit County — 19.7 inches on April 4, 1987

With two months of winter left, there are plenty of chances to break those records. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted a cold, snowy winter throughout much of the United States, with at least seven big snowstorms from one coast to the other.

In our state, the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a long winter for Northeast Ohio. "This could feel like the never-ending winter, particularly in the Midwest and east to the Ohio Valley and Appalachians, where wintery weather will last well into March and even through the first days of spring," said Old Farmer's Almanac editor Janice Stillman.

The competing Farmers’ Almanac predicts that the eastern two-thirds of the United States can expect a snowy ride through the rest of the winter.

"We expect yet another wild ride this winter," said Pete Geiger, editor,Farmers' Almanac, "with extreme temperatures swings and some hefty snowfalls."

If this winter is going to turn wicked, it won't do so anytime soon. Current short-range forecasts, show a mostly dry week in Northeast Ohio, with a chance of rain and snow on Friday. Little to no accumulation of snow is expected over the weekend.