Fact Check

Is It Snowing?

It's smart to be skeptical on April Fools', but this got weird.

Published Apr 1, 2021

 (Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay )
Image Via Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay
Claim:
It snowed in Ohio on April 1, 2021.

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April Fools' Day is an annual holiday that seemingly celebrates both pranks and paranoia. As wholesome entities such as the Teletubbies, Paddington Bear, and the language-learning company Duolingo were posting deceiving japes, it's perhaps not surprising that even something as basic as a weather report invited suspicion. For instance, on April 1, 2021, some people were skeptical that it was snowing in Ohio:

It did, in fact, snow in Ohio on April 1, 2021.

Here's a screenshot from the Weather Channel showing that there was a freeze warning in effect for Cincinnati on the morning of April 1, as well as some light snow fall:

Christian Hauser, a journalist for Local 12 News, also reported that it was snowing in Ohio:

Steve Horstmeyer, a meteorologist for the Cincinnati TV station Fox19 (and who uses the trustworthy Twitter handle @TrustSteve19), also shared a weather map showing snow moving into the Cincinnati area:

While some people may be suspicious of this event, snowfall in the Midwest during April isn't all that unusual. Cincinatti.com reported:

So how often does Greater Cincinnati get snow in the spring?

It's pretty normal. In an average March, the region gets about 3 inches of snow, and in April, there is a normal snowfall of half an inch for the month, according to the National Weather Service.

Dan Evon is a former writer for Snopes.

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