Weather
"The climate of the Great Lakes is characterized by the rapid passage of different weather systems. It is not a hostile climate, because the extremes are needed for the work that goes on here: 50 degrees below-zero weather thickens the beaver pelt, and 50-inch snows keep the lake levels up to float 50,000-ton cargoes out of shallow ports, and 95 degree heat ripens corn in a short season." (William Dohnahue Ellis; The Cuyahoga River; p. 77)
Northern Ohio's summer growing season is extended due to the "Lake-Effect" on temperatures in the fall. The lake water takes longer to cool than does the land, so the relatively warm, ice-free water in the fall keeps nearby land relatively warm. However, once the Lake cools and ice forms, it is slower than the land to heat up in the spring. This tends to keep the lakeshore cooler longer in spring.Lake Erie is large enough to induce lake and land breezes caused by the temperature difference between land and water. Water is cooler than land during the day and creates a pressure gradient that creates wind. During a summer day the wind will come from the water, but at night this reverses. In the winter, a northwest wind can produce heavy snows with little warning, which can add 20 to 60 inches of snow upon the regional averages within snow belt areas per year.
Northern Ohio weather is tempered and with the Lake Effect, has the following characteristics:
Average Overall Temp. = 49º F
Average Summer Temp. = 71.6º F
Average Winter Temp. = 29.8º F
35 inches of liquid precipitation per year
45 inches of snow per year
200 frost-free days