by Sam Smart

Created on: January 23, 2010

Cleveland's weather patterns can be variant.  The city experiences a humid continental climate, meaning winters will usually be cold and snowy, whereas summers tend to be warm and humid.  Cleveland is situated near Lake Erie, and that moderates the city's temperatures a little.  This lake is also responsible for bringing lake-effect snow, which occurs when cold air flows over milder waters, mainly from late fall through early spring.  Overall precipitation (rain, melted snow, etc.) of nearly forty inches is normally distributed throughout the year in Cleveland.   

*Winter

Winters are chilly and snowy in Cleveland.  The season has very limited sunshine as well, because of Lake Erie's water vapor that supplies periods of cloudiness. Daytime highs usually top in the 30s.  Nights are slightly colder, and temperatures can range from 20 to 25 degrees.  Sometimes, arctic blasts from Canada decrease the temperatures considerably.  Daytime highs in the teens are not uncommon, and nighttime lows below 0 degrees are reported at Cleveland in some winters.

Cleveland's winter snow is heavy.  From December to January, the normal snowfall is nearly 45 inches.  Again, the main culprit for that amount is Lake Erie, which supplies a lot of moisture from its waters, enhancing the term "lake effect."  Rain sometimes occur in Cleveland in the winter, and they are usually light to moderate in nature.

*Spring

This is Cleveland's most diverse season.  Temperatures can be in the 70s as highs in April before falling back to the 40s for highs in the same month.  Nevertheless, spring time for Cleveland is fairly pleasant, especially in late April and throughout May, where temperatures will be in the 60s and 70s as highs.  Nights can still be chilly, however, as temperatures usually stay below freezing until late March.  They will eventually warm into the 50s by May.

Spring is rather stormy for Cleveland.  The moist air from the Gulf of Mexico help fuel thunderstorms that can be severe with large hail and tornadoes.  Early spring snow will likely be observed mainly throughout March.  The wettest spring month is May.

*Summer

Summers will turn out to be sunny, warm, and humid.  Normal high temperatures are in the 80s; normal low temperatures are in the

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