Franklin County Sees No Weather-Related Deaths During Snowstorm

Bitter cold and heavy snow did not result in any fatalities, coroner's office says.

Jan. 28, 2026 at 10:55am

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Despite the severe winter weather conditions brought on by Winter Storm Fern, which dumped over a foot of snow in parts of the Columbus, Ohio area and led to dangerously cold wind chills, the Franklin County Coroner's Office has reported no weather-related deaths as of January 28th.

Why it matters

While winter weather is not typically a leading cause of death in Columbus, cold-weather-related fatalities do sometimes occur, especially among the unhoused population. The lack of weather-related deaths during this major storm is an encouraging sign that the city's emergency response and warming center efforts were effective in protecting vulnerable residents.

The details

The weekend snowstorm was Columbus' biggest since 2008, with over a foot of snow in some areas. Across Ohio, the State Highway Patrol had responded to over 300 crashes and 1,000 disabled vehicles since the storm hit. Franklin County remained under a Level 1 snow emergency on January 28th, with road crews continuing to make progress clearing the snow. Despite the extreme conditions, the Franklin County Coroner's Office said they had not seen any weather-related deaths from the storm as of that morning.

  • Winter Storm Fern hit the Columbus area over the weekend of January 27-28, 2026.
  • As of the morning of January 28th, the Franklin County Coroner's Office had not recorded any weather-related deaths from the storm.

The players

Franklin County Coroner's Office

The government agency responsible for investigating deaths in Franklin County, Ohio, including any that may be weather-related.

Ohio State Highway Patrol

The law enforcement agency that responded to over 300 crashes and 1,000 disabled vehicles across Ohio during Winter Storm Fern.

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What they’re saying

“Despite the bitter cold and heavy snow, Franklin County has recorded no weather-related deaths during winter storm Fern as of Jan. 28”

— Jeremy Blake, Spokesman, Franklin County Coroner's Office

The takeaway

The lack of weather-related deaths during this major winter storm in Columbus is a positive sign that the city's emergency response and support systems were effective in protecting vulnerable residents from the extreme cold and heavy snow conditions.