The Athens, Ohio school year weather roundup

From heatwaves to cold snaps and droughts to floods, Athens has seen its fair share of weather events this year

Hocking River flooding

By Alicia Szczesniak

Another school year is drawing to a close at Ohio University. As we look back on our accomplishments and our memories (good and bad) from the year, let's also look back on our wildest weather events. 

Heatwaves

Fall semester came in hot, literally. The first day of classes set heat records, with temperatures reaching 100°F. The next several days would follow suit, reaching into the 90s and even the low 100s. 

Drought

But the beginning of the school year didn’t just bring heat. On August 29, 2024, a D4 exceptional drought level was declared. Little rain fell during this time period, and the sun continued to dry up the Hocking River and bake Athens County. 

It was even declared a primary natural disaster area. This allowed farmers, who were facing mounting financial pressure from poor crop yields, to seek federal assistance. But, even with federal assistance, some businesses, such as Libby’s Pumpkin Patch, were forced to temporarily close for the 2024 season. 

As a result of the drought, Athens was also placed under an open-burn ban, prohibiting people from using fireworks, starting bonfires or smoking outdoors, among other things. The ban was, however, lifted on October 11, 2024. 

Hurricane Helene

While Athens may not have felt the most devastating effects of Hurricane Helene, the city still received extremely heavy rainfall. In a span of just one weekend, Athens received roughly an inch and a half of rain. However, as compared to neighboring areas, Athens was extremely lucky. Other neighboring counties, such as Ross and Scioto, saw eight inches of rain in a matter of two days, which caused widespread flooding. 

Snowstorms

A massive snowstorm that had formed in the Rocky Mountains passed over Athens between January 5-7, 2025. During this, upwards of 9 inches of snow fell across the city, nearly two inches higher than the January average of 7.4 inches. 

In fact, the snow was so heavy that a level 3 snow emergency was declared. A level 3 snow emergency means that everything should shut down and people should not be out on the roads at all. 

Cold Snaps

January did not just see snow, either. Throughout mid-January, temperatures plummeted into the teens during the day, and would fall even further below zero at night. The lowest temperature recorded during this time period was -12°F, recorded the night of January 22, 2025.

Fortunately, this did not last long for Athens, as temperatures swung back into the 40s the week after. 

Bringing spring break heat to Athens

When people think of a college spring break, they think of hot sun and warm temperatures. Fortunately, people did not have to go far to experience this, as unseasonably warm temperatures moved through Athens. 

Beginning on Monday, March 10, temperatures began to swing well above their seasonal averages, clocking in at up to 81°F on March 13, 2025.

A Windy Start to Spring

Felt like it’s been a little breezier lately? You’re not imagining it. Most of the country saw one of the windiest starts to spring in recorded history. On March 4, the National Weather Service issued 33 high wind warnings for various locations, the second highest amount ever issued in a single day. 

Athens has an average March wind speed of 6 mph, making it one of the breeziest months of the year. Overall, that stays pretty consistent. However, March 2025 had several days that sustained near-gale or gale-force winds. 

Tornado Warnings and Severe Thunderstorms

At roughly 3:00 a.m. on April 3, students and residents of Athens, Ohio were woken up by the sound of a tornado warning. The tornado warning was connected to a severe thunderstorm that spanned across multiple states and led to extensive damage.

But it seems that Athens got off easy, as none of the 14 tornadoes confirmed across the state of Ohio touched down near Athens. But, the city still got upwards of three inches of rain.

Flooding

While much of the city is protected by levees up to 26 feet, this did not stop certain portions of the city from being inundated by flood water from the Hocking River on the weekend of April 4. Large areas along the riverbank on E. State Street were underwater, including the skate park, the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway and the soccer fields behind Walmart. 

This is because the river’s flood stage peaked at 20.77 feet, which is roughly 4 times the April average of about 5 feet. 

Additionally, low-lying areas in the more rural parts of the county saw extensive flooding.

Wanna chat? Email Alicia at as589820@ohio.edu, or follow her on Instagram at @alicia_szcz.