With four beautiful, distinct seasons, there is something wonderful to see, do, or experience throughout the year.
Weather Stability
Our region has very few weather problems that often occur in other parts of the country such as: hurricanes, mudslides, wild fires, floods, earthquakes, and droughts. There are occasional tornado watches, but most of us cannot remember the last time we heard an emergency siren sending us to our basements for a funnel cloud. Those happen more often in the flat lands south and west of Ohio. Winter might be the only time you have to deal with an occasional weather related-issue, but our cities, suburbs, and neighborhoods are well-equipped to handle winter weather.
Photo courtesy of Holden Forests & Gardens
If you have never driven in snowy weather, it may help you feel better to know that Cleveland sits on one of the largest salt mines in the country. It was left behind from an ancient inland ocean under Lake Erie, so we will not run out of road salt to put on slippery roads in our lifetime. Our road crews are experts in keeping the roads clear of snow and ice quickly. You can also take a winter driving class to master the skills. DriveTeam
Average Temperatures
Cleveland/Akron seasons are marked by spring rain; sunny, warm, and mildly humid summers; crisp beautiful autumns; and cold winters with some snow. The record high temperature here of 104°F was set in June of 1988, and the coldest temperature recorded was −20°F on January 19, 1994. On average, July is the warmest month with a mean temperature of 71.9 °F in Cleveland (Cleveland is kept cool by breezes off of Lake Erie, but surrounding neighborhoods and suburbs are often warmer) and 82°F in Akron. January is the coldest month with a mean temperature of 25.7 °F in Cleveland and 33.7 °F in Akron.
Snowfall
While children long for school snow days, they are far and few between. Northeast Ohio is well-equipped to maintain safe roads with snowplows and stockpiles of road salt. Many residents opt to drive 4-wheel drive vehicles.
Average annual snowfall in Cleveland is 64" and Akron is 42".
In the past 40 years, Cleveland experienced seven years with more than 80" of snow and 33 years with less.
The winter of 2004-05 had the most snow in the last 40 years, with 117.9".
The winter of 2015-16 had the least snow in the last 40 years with only 32.8". Courtesy Ohio.gov
Lake Effect Snow and "The Snowbelt"
Unique to just a few areas in the world including the Great Lakes, lake-effect snow occurs when cold arctic air moves over warmer lake waters, scoops up large amounts of moisture, and then drops snow as it hits the elevated land in its path. This creates a "snowbelt." In Greater Cleveland the primary snowbelt gets 80" to 100" of snow annually and is located in the eastern half of Cuyahoga County and all of Geauga, Lake, and Ashtabula Counties, as seen in the map above. The epicenter of this snowbelt is the charming suburb of Chardon in Geauga County.
Bonus...residents enjoy warm summer days on the shores of Lake Erie!
What is the the weather like on your favorite holiday? Check it out here!
Where is the best place to live if you have seasonal allergies? Check it out here! Photo Credits Preview modal-
Photo Credits
Fall foliage by Ricard Gomez via Unsplash
Warren H. Corning Visitor Center and Carver's Pond courtesy of Holden Forests & Gardens
Edgewater Park courtesy of Cleveland Metroparks
Boston Mills Ski Resort courtesy of Margy Judd
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