It may not have been as catastrophic as the Blizzard of 1978, but Winter Storm Landon barreled through the Midwest and dumped on Northwest Ohio for sure on February 2-4. Depending on where you were in Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana snowfall totals were anywhere from 9 inches to 13 inches. Drifts were measured by the foot! When Landon first entered the area on February 2nd, it began as rain. And it rained and it rained. In Antwerp, rain gauges measured close to 1 inch of rain before the temperatures dipped below the 32F mark and switched over to the white fluffy precipitation. The inaugural hours of frozen Landon was heavy and wet making plowing and shoveling an arduous task. By the daylight hours of February 3rd, the air temperature had dropped enough to lighten the snow to the less dense version of frosted wetness. This light snowfall continued throughout the entire day, with many road crews taking a break midday to conserve fuel until the system moved eastward. The wind was a major factor in this storm as drifting and blowing snow made travel difficult with 10-14 mph winds and gusts up to 25-30 mph at times.
Winter sports and recreation will be in full swing in the area for the time being, so get out there and sled, skate or make that snowman. Remnants of Landon can be seen in parking lots, intersections, at the edges of driveways and along the roadsides and will be a reminder that there is indeed six more weeks of winter… thanks Punxsutawney Phil!
