First measurable snowfalls can be quite… measurable!

Dave Mazza

9 years ago

Columbus (WCMH) – It is looking more and more like we are closing in on our first measurable snowfall here in Central Ohio. Yes, it is December, but remember, last year we didn’t have our first measurable snow until January 10th, and the year before we didn’t have any measurable snowfall in December.Since 1931, we have had 5 times where the 1st measurable snow has yielded 4″ or more:

7.9″ December 3, 1957
6.2″ November 28, 1958
6.0″ November 17, 1980
4.7″ November 2, 1967
4.0″ December 5, 2007

Below is the data list since 1931 for the 1st measurable snowfall in Columbus:

We have had the earliest measurable snow on Oct 19th, and the latest was in 2015, when the first measurable didn’t occur until January of 2016.

First Snow Date:	Amount
11/27/1931	3.1
12/10/1932	3.6
11/8/1933	0.1
12/8/1934	1.0
11/29/1935	0.1
11/4/1936	3.5
11/18/1937	0.2
11/23/1938	0.3
12/3/1939	0.1
11/15/1940	0.2
11/9/1941	0.3
11/29/1942	2.0
11/10/1943	0.2
12/11/1944	1.5
11/22/1945	0.3
12/16/1946	0.4
11/25/1947	0.1
12/10/1948	1.0
12/8/1949	0.1
11/23/1950	1.1
11/1/1951	0.2
11/29/1952	2.3
11/7/1953	0.4
10/31/1954	0.2
11/18/1955	0.5
11/21/1956	0.1
12/3/1957	7.9
11/28/1958	6.2
11/25/1959	0.1
11/29/1960	0.8
11/19/1961	1.2
10/25/1962	1.3
11/13/1963	1.1
11/29/1964	0.4
11/28/1965	0.2
11/2/1966	4.7
11/5/1967	0.1
11/9/1968	0.3
11/13/1969	0.9
11/15/1970	0.2
11/6/1971	1.8
11/26/1972	0.1
12/10/1973	0.4
11/13/1974	0.1
11/25/1975	0.1
11/21/1976	0.2
11/26/1977	0.1
11/26/1978	1.0
11/28/1979	0.1
11/17/1980	6.0
11/21/1981	0.1
12/10/1982	1.0
11/11/1983	0.5
11/18/1984	0.9
12/2/1985	0.1
11/11/1986	0.4
11/20/1987	0.1
11/6/1988	0.8
10/19/1989	0.4
12/4/1990	0.1
11/7/1991	0.2
11/5/1992	1.2
10/30/1993	3.6
12/10/1994	0.2
11/11/1995	0.1
11/9/1996	0.2
11/4/1997	6.5
12/16/1998	0.6
11/2/1999	1.1
11/14/2000	0.1
12/24/2001	0.1
11/22/2002	0.3
11/24/2003	0.1
11/25/2004	0.1
11/23/2005	1.4
11/20/2006	0.1
12/5/2007	4.0
11/17/2008	0.8
12/18/2009	0.8
12/1/2010	0.2
12/17/2011	0.4
10/30/2012	0.6
11/11/2013	0.3
11/16/2014	0.1
1/10/2016	1.0

Average	1.0
Most Frequent	0.1
Highest	7.9
Earliest	10/19/1989
Latest	1/10/2016

If you ever have questions about the first snow, snow, winter weather, or any other weather, email me: dmazza@wcmh.com

-Dave