Ohio’s weather is nothing to cheer about, though it does have a couple of windows of pleasantry. Except for the extreme southern section of the state, Ohio experiences warm humid summers and cold snowy winters. The truly nice periods are on the edges of these seasons, in late May and October. Summers have fairly nice temperatures averaging around 80°F from June through August, but the persistent humidity makes conditions rather stuffy. Spring and early summer are when thunderstorms are at their strongest, occasionally even spawning tornadoes.

Precipitation is evenly distributed throughout the year, and in winter that means plenty of snow and the occasional ice storm. Between December and February the mercury stays firmly planted in the 30s (°F) with night lows dropping well below freezing. Around 18 inches of snow falls per month on average in the winter, though Lake Erie’s lake effect can create some harsh conditions up north for Toledo and Cleveland. In the southern city of Cincinnati the temperatures are 5°F higher throughout the year. It’s still cold in winter, but hotter in summer.

Best Time to Visit Ohio

Ohio is famous for its fall colors. The rolling hills of the state are covered mainly with hardwoods that turns orange and red during October. This is certainly one of the nicest seasons of the year throughout the state, with daytime highs in the 60s (°F) in October and 70s (°F) in September. It’s also one of the busiest travel periods in Ohio so don’t expect any good hotel rates during the fall. To find big discounts on accommodation try visiting from November to April. Spring also has its merits, though this is when the weather is at its most mercurial. The temperatures in April and May hover around 70°F and the trees and flowers start to bud. If you don’t mind the strong chance of rain, spring a very pretty time in Ohio and room rates tend to be discounted.