If it seems like 2018 was a wet year, or even if it doesn’t, 2018 ended as the wettest year on record in Columbus, Ohio, the 3rd wettest in Cincinnati, and the 10th wettest in Dayton, Ohio.

Here is the NWS year end summary and where it stands historically:

Here is the Columbus, Ohio National Weather Service record event statement:

RECORD EVENT REPORT 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
110 AM EST TUE JAN 1 2019

...RECORD ANNUAL MAXIMUM PRECIPITATION SET AT COLUMBUS OH...

A RECORD ANNUAL PRECIPITATION TOTAL OF 55.18 INCHES WAS SET AT JOHN 
GLENN INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. THIS BREAKS THE OLD ANNUAL RECORD OF 
54.96 INCHES SET IN 2011.

Here are the Kentucky mesonet 2018 rainfall totals:

Note the 80 inch total near London, KY, and the 88 inch total near the Virginia border.

For my Cheviot OH 3W location, I recorded 65.46 inches compared to the normal 43.72 for the Cheviot cooperative observer site, or 21.74 inches above normal for the year. This is the second highest total for the Cheviot cooperative observer site. Interestingly, I recorded 61.29 inches of rain in 2017 so this is the second year in a row with much above normal rainfall in excess of 60 inches.  I looked up an old article from my blog and here is what I found:

December and 2011 Weather Notes

December (2011) was exceedingly warm, wet, and snow less in Cincinnati… The rainfall of 6.38 inches was nearly twice normal. December rainfall also pushed my (2011) annual total at Cheviot 0.9 SSE to 70.02. This is by far and away a record for my location, but it pales in comparison with the 73.28 inches recorded at the CVG NWS office and the… 76.24 inches recorded at (the) co-op station in Cheviot, OH. (This total) exceeds the old annual record for the entire state of Ohio (Little Mountain, Lake/Geauga County, 70.82 inches, 1870) by 5.40 inches. …The … NWS CVG total also exceeds the old annual state record. It also obliterates the old official local record of 57.58 inches set in 1990. The rainfall story in Cincinnati is nothing short of historic. There is nothing to compare to this, historically, in the state of Ohio. Truly one for the record books!

So, 2018 was a very wet year. Even so, like all years, it had its ups and downs. Below is my annual summary:

As you can see, September was by far the wettest month with 11.49 inches. February had 8.27 inches but October had only 1.53 inches, half of which fell on the 31st.

The next couple weeks look quite warm with an active storm track. After that, there are indications it will turn colder. We shall see. We are 1/3 of the way through meteorological winter.

Happy New Year!