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Climate in Cleveland, Ohio: Monthly Weather Averages

By the AverageClimate Editorial Team · Last updated: October 2026

Cleveland sits at 763 feet above sea level, and its climate, as recorded at the Cleveland, OH station, runs to a yearly mean of 52.4°F. The warmest month is July, averaging 74.5°F with typical highs of 83.7°F; the coldest is January, averaging 29.1°F with lows around 22.3°F. Across a normal year the city receives 41.0 in of precipitation and 63.8 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 Cleveland 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.

Cleveland climate month by month

The table below is the complete 1991–2020 normals profile for Cleveland: average high, average low and mean temperature, rainfall, and snowfall for every month. Read down the Mean column to feel the year's rhythm — Cleveland's temperature range runs from 29.1°F in January to 74.5°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.

Cleveland through the seasons

Winter in Cleveland averages highs of 35.8–40.4°F and lows of 22.3–28.2°F, a seasonal mean of 31.5°F. The three months together bring 8.5 in of precipitation — about 21% of the city's yearly total — with December the wettest of the three at 2.99 in. Snowfall averages 45.7 in over the season, most of it in January (18.4 in). Average temperatures sit below freezing, so this is the heart of the heating season: expect snow-covered ground, icy mornings, and short, cold days as the local norm rather than the exception.

Spring in Cleveland averages highs of 47.1–71.1°F and lows of 30.7–51.4°F, a seasonal mean of 50.2°F. The three months together bring 10.6 in of precipitation — about 26% of the city's yearly total — with May the wettest of the three at 3.79 in. Snowfall averages 13.5 in over the season, most of it in March (10.8 in). The season is a transition: the average temperature climbs 22.3°F from March to May, and by late spring Cleveland is firmly into mild territory, with May rainfall of 3.79 in to plan around.

Summer in Cleveland averages highs of 79.8–83.7°F and lows of 61.1–65.3°F, a seasonal mean of 72.6°F. The three months together bring 11.1 in of precipitation — about 27% of the city's yearly total — with June the wettest of the three at 3.83 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 Cleveland averages highs of 51.3–75.6°F and lows of 36.7–57.1°F, a seasonal mean of 55.2°F. The three months together bring 10.9 in of precipitation — about 27% of the city's yearly total — with September the wettest of the three at 3.93 in. Snowfall averages 4.6 in over the season, most of it in November (4.5 in). Temperatures ease off through the season — the monthly mean drops 22.4°F from September to November — and fall is when Cleveland's weather turns cooler and wetter, while nights stay mostly frost-free into December.

Best and worst months to visit Cleveland

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

JuneJulyAugust

June leads the list: average highs of 79.8°F, lows of 61.1°F, and 3.83 in of rain, with snow a non-factor at 0.0 in. The other picks, July and August, offer the same balance in Cleveland'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 29.1°F and 2.99 in of precipitation plus 18.4 in of snow.

How Cleveland compares

Across the 114 cities in our dataset, the typical city averages 57.8°F for the year and 35.7 in of precipitation. Cleveland runs 5.4°F cooler than that typical city and wetter by 5.4 in a year, ranking #77 of 114 for annual warmth and #45 of 114 for precipitation (wettest first). Its year-round temperature swing — warmest month minus coldest — is 45.4°F, which puts it in the strongly continental, four-real-seasons camp.

Planning notes for Cleveland

For anyone relocating: average overnight lows drop below freezing in 4 months (January, February, March, December), so heating, winter tires, and pipe protection are real seasonal concerns; highs reach the 80s on average in 2 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 Cleveland wardrobe to its utility bills.

Cleveland climate FAQ

Source: 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) — ncei.noaa.gov. Station: Cleveland, OH (USW00014820), elevation 763 ft. Figures checked October 2026.