Snowfall history / Cincinnati
Cincinnati snowfall history: biggest storms and recent winters
Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, the official National Weather Service station for Cincinnati, recorded 32.6 in of snow in winter 2025-26, which is 9.3 inches above the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 23.3 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 ranged from 7.8 in (2023-24) to 32.6 in (2025-26). These are totals at one station, and snowfall varies across the Cincinnati area.
Updated October 6, 2026. By Weather Decision Solutions. All guides
Cincinnati snowfall over the last three winters at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky
Each winter is counted from July 1 to June 30. The totals are National Weather Service observations at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, added up day by day.
| Winter | Snowfall at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky | NOAA 1991-2020 normal | Compared with normal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 | 7.8 in | 23.3 in | 15.5 in below |
| 2024-25 | 29.3 in | 23.3 in | 6.0 in above |
| 2025-26 | 32.6 in | 23.3 in | 9.3 in above |
The normal is the NOAA 1991-2020 average season snowfall for the same station. Over the ten winters from 2016-17 through 2025-26, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky averaged 19.6 in a season.
The biggest Cincinnati snowstorms of the last ten winters
These are the five largest storms at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky from winter 2016-17 through winter 2025-26. Each total is the heaviest three-day stretch of a storm, taken from daily observations, with no day counted twice. A storm that fell in one or two days shows the days it snowed.
| Rank | Dates | Snowfall at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Feb. 8-10, 2021 | 12.9 in |
| 2 | Jan. 5-6, 2025 | 10.6 in |
| 3 | Jan. 24-25, 2026 | 10.2 in |
| 4 | Jan. 12-14, 2019 | 7.6 in |
| 5 | Dec. 11-13, 2025 | 6.5 in |
This is a ten-winter window, not the full record. For earlier storms, the National Weather Service Wilmington, Ohio office (serves Cincinnati) keeps longer histories. The late-January 2026 storm measured 10.2 in at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, covered in the January 24-26, 2026 recap. For the latest winter across major cities, see winter 2025-26 snowfall totals by city.
Why Cincinnati snowfall varies across the metro
In Cincinnati, the type of precipitation matters as much as the amount. NWS Wilmington, Ohio wrote that in the January 24-25, 2026 storm some sleet and freezing rain kept values across portions of northern Kentucky and the lower Scioto Valley lower than the rest of the region. The two-day totals were 10.2 inches at Cincinnati, 12.0 at Columbus and 14.0 at Dayton.
Even close to the airport, reports differ. The office lists five reports in Boone County, Kentucky, where the airport sits, running from 8.0 to 10.7 inches for the same storm. The official station is the airport in Northern Kentucky, across the Ohio River from the city, so it is one reading in a metro that spans two states.
How to get the snow total for a specific Cincinnati address
A Free Snow Report calculates the total for the street address and storm dates you enter, from nearby stations and trained observers, and emails it as two PDFs.
- Open the request page and verify your email. There is no password.
- Enter the street address, then pick the storm dates. One storm per report, up to three days, within the last ten years, and the last day must be at least two days ago.
- Get the Verified Report and the Full Report by email.
Each verified email gets three free reports. After that, a report is $39, and a ZIP pass covers many reports in one ZIP code for 12 months. Details are on the pricing page.
About these numbers
All station totals come from the official National Weather Service record for Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, read through the NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS database and checked against a second official source, the National Weather Service daily climate reports or the NOAA NCEI daily archive. Where the preliminary climate report and the final archive differ by a few tenths on one day, this page uses the final archive. They are totals at one station. They are not an estimate for an address, and they are not a certified copy of the record. For certified copies, NOAA NCEI sells them through its data certification service.
Questions people ask
How much snow did Cincinnati get last winter?
At Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, the official National Weather Service station, winter 2025-26 (July 1 to June 30) brought 32.6 in of snow. That is 9.3 inches above the NOAA 1991-2020 normal of 23.3 in. Snowfall changes across the metro, so a given neighborhood can differ from the station.
What are the Cincinnati snowfall totals by year?
At Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport: 2023-24 7.8 in, 2024-25 29.3 in and 2025-26 32.6 in. The ten winters from 2016-17 to 2025-26 averaged 19.6 in, from 7.8 in (2023-24) to 32.6 in (2025-26). For other years, use NWS NOWData or NOAA Climate Data Online.
What was the biggest snowstorm in Cincinnati in the last ten years?
At Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky, the largest three-day totals from 2016-17 to 2025-26 were Feb. 8-10, 2021 (12.9 in), Jan. 5-6, 2025 (10.6 in), Jan. 24-25, 2026 (10.2 in). This page covers those ten winters only. For earlier decades, use the National Weather Service Wilmington, Ohio office (serves Cincinnati).
What is the normal annual snowfall in Cincinnati?
The NOAA 1991-2020 normal at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is 23.3 in a season. The last ten winters averaged 19.6 in.
Why did Cincinnati get less snow than Dayton in January 2026?
NWS Wilmington, Ohio reported two-day totals of 10.2 inches at Cincinnati, 12.0 at Columbus and 14.0 at Dayton for January 24-25, 2026. It noted that some sleet and freezing rain kept values across portions of northern Kentucky and the lower Scioto Valley lower than the rest of the region.
Does the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky total apply to my address in the Cincinnati area?
Not exactly. It is one measurement at one site. Snow can differ by several inches across a metro area in the same storm, depending on terrain, distance from water and where bands set up. For a specific property, a report for the street address calculates the total for that spot.
How do I find out how much snow fell at my address in Cincinnati?
Request a Free Snow Report at freesnowreport.com/request. Enter the street address and the storm dates, and the total for that spot arrives by email as two PDFs. Each verified email gets three free reports, then a report is $39 or a ZIP pass covers many.
Where do these Cincinnati snowfall numbers come from?
They are official National Weather Service observations at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, read from the NOAA Regional Climate Centers ACIS database and checked against a second official source, the National Weather Service daily climate reports or the NOAA NCEI daily archive. Normals are the NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
Sources
- NOAA Regional Climate Centers: ACIS station data (official National Weather Service records)
- National Weather Service: daily climate data (used to check season totals)
- NOAA NCEI: daily summaries archive (second check on season totals)
- NOAA NCEI: U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020
- National Weather Service: NOWData climate data
- National Weather Service Wilmington, Ohio office (serves Cincinnati)
- National Weather Service Wilmington, Ohio: January 2026 regional weather summary
- National Weather Service Wilmington, Ohio: January 24-25, 2026 winter storm
- NOAA NCEI: Climate Data Online