2008 Ohio Statewide Snowstorm

The statewide snowstorm of 2008 was a record setting event that occurred on Friday, March 7, and Saturday, March 8, 2008. While this event has been called the Blizzard of 2008, technically the storm did not have sustained winds of at least thirty-five miles per hour, a requirement of a blizzard.

The storm entered southeastern Ohio in the early morning hours of March 7. By 8:00 AM, snow had begun to fall in the central portions of the state. By late in the afternoon, snow had reached the northeastern corner of the state. Most areas of Ohio received between two and four inches of snow on March 7. In Central Ohio, most schools and many businesses closed early on March 7, as the storm intensified. On March 8, an additional six to sixteen inches of snow fell on Ohio, with the heaviest accumulation occurring in Central Ohio. Columbus had a total snow accumulation of 20.4 inches, surpassing the city's earlier snow record of 15.3 inches, which was set in February 1910. Cleveland and Cincinnati received approximately twelve inches of snow. Most flights to and from Port Columbus International Airport were cancelled on March 8. At the storm's peak on March 8, approximately two-thirds of Ohio's eighty-eight counties had declared Level Two or Level Three Snow Emergencies, where automobile travel is either discouraged or prohibited. Five deaths were linked to the storm.