April 4, 1987, brought blizzard conditions, foot of snow
April can be a fickle month, especially in the first few weeks, when winter often lingers into the lap of spring. The contrast of seasons can also lead to severe weather, as we experienced Tuesday. On April 4, 1987, a low pressure system formed in the western Gulf of Mexico led to a blizzard in Ohio, resulting in a foot of snowfall. The storm moved northeast, gaining intensity and drawing on cold air to generate a full-blown April blizzard. The snow fell at the rate of 1 to 2 inches an hour, whipped by wind gusts between 30-40 mph, causing blizzard conditions near and east of the Interstate 71 corridor. The final measurement at Port Columbus International Airport showed 12.6 inches of snow fell in 24 hours, breaking all modern April records for a snowstorm so late in the season. Cleveland received 16.5 inches, a March record at the time.
Được phát hành : một tháng trước qua Ben Gelber trong Weather
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — April can be a fickle month, especially in the first few weeks, when winter often lingers into the lap of spring. The contrast of seasons often leads to severe weather in the form of flooding downpours, high winds and tornadoes, as we experienced Tuesday.
On Apr. 2, 1987, an area low pressure blossomed in the western Gulf of Mexico, bringing the latest trace of snow on record at Mobile, Ala., the next morning. Two inches of snow accumulated at Meridian, Miss., 6 inches at Birmingham, Ala., 8 inches at Nashville, Tenn., and 12 inches at Asheville, N.C., as the storm moved northeast on Saturday, Apr. 3.
The late winter storm system continued to gain intensity marching up the western side of the Appalachians, drawing on enough cold air to generate a full-blown April blizzard in many parts of Ohio by late afternoon, as the surface pressure deepened rapidly.
The snow fell at the rate of 1 to 2 inches an hour, whipped by wind gusts between 30-40 mph, causing blizzard conditions near and east of the Interstate 71 corridor. Blowing and drifting made travel hazardous in the blinding snow, eventually halting most transportation where roads became impassable.
By the time the snow tapered off shortly after midnight on Sunday, Apr. 5, the final measurement at Port Columbus International Airport totaled 12.6 inches (12.3 inches fell in 24 hours on Apr. 4), smashing all modern April records for a snowstorm so late in the season in the city.
Areas east of Columbus received even more; 15 to 20 inches of snow piled up between Newark and Zanesville. Canton-Akron tallied 20.6 inches, setting a 24-hour snowfall record. Additional stunning spring totals included 22 inches at New Lexington and 21 inches at Coshocton. Charleston, W.V., recorded 20 inches.
Remarkably, this was the second snow storm that week, after up to 8 inches fell on Mar. 30-31, 1987, in northeastern Franklin County, and 5.7 inches in Columbus. Cleveland received 16.5 inches, a March record at the time.
An extending snowfall, likely several storms, from Apr. 2-7, 1886, totaled 16.9 inches in Columbus, but the intensity was not nearly as heavy at any time during that period.