By Susan Vela
The Cincinnati Enquirer

It had more ups and downs than Son of Beast, more twists and turns than a Steven King novel.

To farmers, 2002's weather was scarier than both. For drivers, sports fans and the guy trying to put in a lawn, it was just a pain in the neck.

Last spring, heavy rains turned farm fields into bogs. In July and August, hot, dry weather stunted crops throughout the region. By fall, the rains returned - nearly double the average for September and October.

"Oh, man..." said meteorologist Jim Lott of the National Weather Service in Wilmington, Ohio. "Although the (annual) numbers came out close to average, it really wasn't that average."

At the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport in 2002, 45.75 inches of rain fell. That's about 4 inches above the norm.

In some months, it came in bunches. In April and May, 14 inches inundated the Tristate, almost double the average.

It only took a day for the new year to add its own troublesome weather. Thursday morning's cold rain and snow showers left ice in some places, creating hazardous conditions. Several crashes occurred along Ronald Reagan Highway, including one that sent two people - Cincinnatians Edwina Smith, 39, and her passenger, Barry Daniels, 41 - to Mercy Franciscan Hospital Mount Airy. Both were treated and released. Weather was considered a factor in the crash.

Today's temperatures should be in the low 30s. Scattered snow showers are expected.

Despite the recent streak of wet, gloomy weather, meteorologists expect this winter to be drier and warmer than last year. That translates to temperatures in the 30s and 40s and less than a foot of snow.

Drier conditions could continue through the spring. Meteorologists are predicting a below-normal amount of rain - a boon for Reds fans eager to try out the Great American Ball Park, but another test for farmers still recovering from last summer's drought.

But, meteorologists don't put much stock in forecasts that go beyond 48 hours.

"After that, the accuracy goes down quite a bit," Mr. Lott said. "It's just so hard to quantify everything that's going on in the atmosphere. You can't figure it out all the time."

Stephanie Simstad, an agricultural extension agent for Ohio State University in Clermont County, wonders if farmers can handle another year of "upsy-downsy" rain levels.

The county's corn growers normally see yields of about 100 bushels per acre. In 2002, county growers were lucky to reap 60, she said.

"Most people realize you're going to have good weather for a number of years, then every so often you're going to have a bad one," she said.

"Most of the farmers take it in stride."

Dave Eck contributed. E-mail svela@enquirer.com