Snow emergency levels remain high in Ohio. What it means for travel

Snow emergency levels remain high in Ohio. What it means for travel

Cheryl Vari and David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer

Mon, January 26, 2026 at 11:09 AM UTC

4 min read

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google.

Hamilton County is under a level 3 snow emergency and several local counties remain under level 2 snow emergencies, meaning only those who consider it necessary should be out on the roads as cleanup from this weekend's winter storm continues.

Clermont, Warren and Butler counties in Ohio and Boone, Kenton and Campbell counties in Northern Kentucky remain under level 2 snow emergencies.

Under a level 3, roads are closed to non-emergency personnel. "No one should be driving unless it is a personal emergency," a sheriff's office alert states.

Under a level 2, only drivers who consider it necessary to travel should be on the roads. Under level 1, no roads are closed but unnecessary travel is discouraged.

Snow emergency levels in Greater Cincinnati, NKY counties

Snow emergency levels in local counties as of 5:45 a.m. Monday, Jan. 26.

Butler County: Level 2
Clermont County: Level 2
Hamilton County: Level 3
Warren County: Level 2
Boone County: Level 2
Campbell County: Level 2
Kenton County: Level 2

Snow emergency level in cities

Bellevue: Level 1 snow emergency effective noon Saturday. Avoid parking on streets, especially cul-de-sacs. Park as close to the curb as possible.
Blue Ash: Snow emergency through Tuesday, Jan. 27 at 5 p.m. Vehicles will face fines or towing for parking on city streets and public right-of-ways.
Cincinnati: Snow emergency starting Saturday afternoon. Move vehicles parked in a “Snow Emergency Zone,” indicated on parking signs. Vehicles could be towed or ticketed if they are not moved. Here is a full list of the city’s snow emergency routes.
Crestview Hills: Snow emergency effective noon Saturday to 6 p.m. Monday All vehicles must be removed from city streets.
Falmouth: Snow emergency effective at 2 p.m. Saturday. Snow emergency routes may be enforced to allow for plowing and emergency access. Parking is prohibited on those routes. Residents are advised to travel only if necessary.
Florence: Level 2 snow emergency.
Fort Mitchell: Level 2 snow emergency.
Ft. Wright : Snow emergency. All on-street parking is prohibited on all public streets.
Independence: Level 2 snow emergency. Parking is not permitted on city streets in Independence while the city is in a snow emergency.
Mount Healthy: Snow emergency from 5 p.m. Saturday to 5 p.m. Monday. No level specified. Parking on snow emergency routes prohibited.
Oxford: Level 2 snow emergency. Parking is not allowed on city streets designated as snow routes until the emergency is canceled.
Reading: Snow Emergency until noon Monday, Jan. 26
Southgate: Snow emergency effective through noon Monday.
Springdale: Snow emergency for all roads in the city starting noon Saturday, according to a Facebook post. No level specified. No parking is permitted on city streets under an emergency.
Taylor Mill: Snow emergency.

Pedestrians brave deep snow to walk their dog in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning until Monday at 6 p.m. for Hamilton County, Ohio.

What do snow emergency levels mean?

Definitions for snow emergencies can vary by state and county, but here are the basics:

What's a Level 1, 2 emergency mean? Snow emergency levels, explained

What is a level 1 snow emergency?

Roadways are hazardous due to accumulated, blowing and drifting snow and roads may be icy.
Motorists are urged to drive very cautiously.
No roadways are closed but unnecessary travel is discouraged.

What is a level 2 snow emergency?

Roadways are hazardous due to accumulated, blowing and drifting snow and roads may be very icy.
Only drive if it is necessary to do so.
Employees should contact their employer to see if they should report to work.

What is a level 3 snow emergency?

Ice, blowing and drifting snow has created extremely hazardous road conditions. Low visibility, extremely low temperatures and worsening road conditions are also factors.
Some or all county roads have been closed to all but emergency and essential persons.
No one should be on roadways unless absolutely necessary and violators could be subject to arrest.
All employees should contact their employer to see if they should report to work.

Indiana travel advisories

All of southeast Indiana is under a "red" travel warning due to the snowy conditions.

Dearborn, Switzerland and Ohio counties just outside of Cincinnati have been issued travel warnings, according the Indiana government's live travel advisory map.

The "red" warning is the highest level of local travel advisory, meaning that travel may be restricted to emergency management workers only. During a warning, individuals are directed to:

Refrain from all travel.
Comply with necessary emergency measures.
Cooperate with public officials and disaster services forces in executing emergency operations plans.
Obey and comply with the lawful directions of properly identified officers.

This report will be updated. Enquirer media partner Fox19 contributed.

We’ve made this story free for all readers in the interest of public safety. Please consider supporting local journalists covering the community through a subscription.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What is the snow emergency level in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky?

About Our Ads

Source