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Climate in Cincinnati, Ohio: Monthly Weather Averages

By the AverageClimate Editorial Team · Last updated: October 2026

Cincinnati sits at 869 feet above sea level, and its climate, as recorded at the Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport, OH station, runs to a yearly mean of 54.6°F. The warmest month is July, averaging 75.9°F with typical highs of 86.0°F; the coldest is January, averaging 31.4°F with lows around 23.1°F. Across a normal year the city receives 45.3 in of precipitation and 23.3 in of snow. The full month-by-month picture below comes from the official 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals — the 30-year averages the National Weather Service itself uses — so it describes the Cincinnati climate you should actually plan around, whether you are timing a visit, weighing a move, or just settling an argument about which month is best.

Cincinnati climate month by month

The table below is the complete 1991–2020 normals profile for Cincinnati: average high, average low and mean temperature, rainfall, and snowfall for every month. Read down the Mean column to feel the year's rhythm — Cincinnati's temperature range runs from 31.4°F in January to 75.9°F in July.

How to read the colors:below freezingcoldcoolmildwarmhot. Bands are colored by each cell's own temperature, so a whole year reads at a glance.

Cincinnati through the seasons

Winter in Cincinnati averages highs of 39.6–43.7°F and lows of 23.1–27.9°F, a seasonal mean of 33.9°F. The three months together bring 10.2 in of precipitation — about 23% of the city's yearly total — with December the wettest of the three at 3.73 in. Snowfall averages 18.5 in over the season, most of it in January (7.7 in). It is a genuinely cold season — heavy coats, freezing nights, and the year's most changeable weather — without being locked below freezing around the clock.

Spring in Cincinnati averages highs of 53.5–74.5°F and lows of 33.8–53.7°F, a seasonal mean of 54.1°F. The three months together bring 13.4 in of precipitation — about 30% of the city's yearly total — with May the wettest of the three at 4.67 in. Snowfall averages 3.8 in over the season, most of it in March (3.4 in). The season is a transition: the average temperature climbs 20.5°F from March to May, and by late spring Cincinnati is firmly into mild territory, with May rainfall of 4.67 in to plan around.

Summer in Cincinnati averages highs of 82.6–86.0°F and lows of 62.1–65.9°F, a seasonal mean of 74.4°F. The three months together bring 12.0 in of precipitation — about 27% of the city's yearly total — with June the wettest of the three at 4.75 in. It is a warm, usable summer: afternoons are hot enough for swimming and lake or coast time, while evenings usually cool off comfortably.

Fall in Cincinnati averages highs of 53.8–78.9°F and lows of 35.1–57.3°F, a seasonal mean of 56.2°F. The three months together bring 9.7 in of precipitation — about 21% of the city's yearly total — with October the wettest of the three at 3.35 in. Snowfall averages 1.0 in over the season, most of it in November (0.8 in). Temperatures ease off through the season — the monthly mean drops 23.7°F from September to November — and fall is when Cincinnati's weather turns crisp and dry, while nights stay mostly frost-free into December.

Best and worst months to visit Cincinnati

Ranking every month by its normals — mild mean temperatures score best, heavy rain and snow count against — the most comfortable months to visit Cincinnati are:

JuneAugustSeptember

June leads the list: average highs of 82.6°F, lows of 62.1°F, and 4.75 in of rain, with snow a non-factor at 0.0 in. The other picks, August and September, offer the same balance in Cincinnati's mild stretch of the year. At the other end, January is usually the month to avoid — deep-winter cold, with a mean temperature of 31.4°F and 3.30 in of precipitation plus 7.7 in of snow.

How Cincinnati compares

Across the 114 cities in our dataset, the typical city averages 57.8°F for the year and 35.7 in of precipitation. Cincinnati runs 3.1°F cooler than that typical city and wetter by 9.6 in a year, ranking #67 of 114 for annual warmth and #34 of 114 for precipitation (wettest first). Its year-round temperature swing — warmest month minus coldest — is 44.5°F, which puts it in the moderate, clearly seasonal camp.

Planning notes for Cincinnati

For anyone relocating: average overnight lows drop below freezing in 3 months (January, February, December), so heating, winter tires, and pipe protection are real seasonal concerns; highs reach the 80s on average in 3 months, but 90°F average highs never arrive; 6 months of the year average between 55°F and 80°F, the band most people find comfortable without heating or cooling. Those four facts, all straight from the normals table above, shape everything from a Cincinnati wardrobe to its utility bills.

Cincinnati climate FAQ

Source: 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — ncei.noaa.gov. Station: Cincinnati Northern Ky Airport, OH (USW00093814), elevation 869 ft. Figures checked October 2026.