Cleveland's weather (Cincinnati, Lorain, Cleveland Heights: ski resorts, rentals, credit)

[SlideRules99]

Yeah, it’s bizarre to me. Raking leaves in Dec in a tee shirt (55 degrees on Thurs…), and 80% of the leaves on our sweet gum tree still holding with Fall color, while our Christmas decorations are up.

I posted earlier that I stopped trying to give NE OH weather insights to my transplant wife. I’ve been waaay wrong, as my data bank is 25-30 years stale.

[cubsguy81]

This December is typical of Midwest - up and down with some warm spells. Looking at the GFS and Euro model, no widespread snow in sight. In fact, very mild starting this weekend with 60s possible and even sunny and mild pattern over the next couple weeks.

Looking like possibility of a White Christmas is diminishing by the day meaning nearly 1/3 of metrological winter appears to be on track without snow leaving just January and February. Mid-Feb starts to get more challenging with greater length of day and sun angle.

So far, so good!

[WRnative]

Only four Christmases since 2000 have seen meaningful snow events on Christmas, and Cleveland's climate has continued to warm due to climate change (e.g., Arctic Amplification) in the first two decades of the 21st century.

<<Since 2000, the only years that have seen more than trace amounts of snow are 2002 (10.2 inches), 2003 (2.8 inches), 2017 (0.6 inches), and 2020 (4.2 inches), according to historical weather data.>>

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2021/...cleveland.html

According to the above article, in addition to above four years, 2004 saw 10 inches of snow on the ground at Christmas day dawn. Three years, 2010, 2012, 2013, had 1 inch of snow on the ground at dawn, according to the article. I didn't check the temperatures for those four years to see if that snow would have rapidly melted.

https://www.climatesignals.org/clima...ification#more

See post 44.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...weather-5.html

[WRnative]

See posts 12-14 in this thread for a discussion of the 2020 white Christmas. When high temperatures are above freezing, and the ground, especially paved surfaces, still is warm, reported snowfalls often don't amount to much actual accumulation.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/ohio...stadium-2.html

[WRnative]

Cleveland in December experienced not a single day with a high below freezing. Amazingly, 28 of 31 days experienced a high of 40 degrees F. or above. The lowest highs of 33 degrees F. occurred on Dec. 14 and 15, according to Accuweather.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/cl...0127?year=2021

In recorded history, has Cleveland ever before had a December with no daily highs below freezing? Doubtful IMO.

December 2020 was significantly colder, so I expect December 2021 perhaps to be abnormal until the next decade. As a student of man-made climate change, I'm well aware that mankind has triggered massive natural feedback loops -- mainly melting of the northern hemisphere permafrost releasing unfathomable amounts of greenhouse gases and an ongoing reduction of the earth's albedo (due to melting of highly reflective snow and ice and the covering of snow and ice with soot from massive boreal wildfires) that increases absorption of solar radiation -- which in addition to unchecked global fossil fuel consumption ensure accelerating global warming.

https://weatherspark.com/h/m/18154/2...es-Temperature

The last section of this post considers the much colder Cleveland December weather of six decades ago.

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...weather-9.html

From just five years ago, I remember a heated discussion about whether Cleveland winters were warming. See post six and subsequent posts here:

<<Note in the winter of 1977-1978, the average daily low was just above 12 degrees F. for the entire winter!!!>>

https://www.city-data.com/forum/clev...land-area.html

From post 10 in that thread:

<<Fortunately, the PD/NEOMG purchased the data several years ago and provided some useful information in assessing climate change, or we would have no empirical data on which to base this discussion. However, the PD data doesn't show the number of days each year below -10 degrees, below zero, below 10 degrees. That's what we need to clearly see the trends. Here's an article suggesting winter weather that is totally foreign to Clevelanders today.

http://www.cleveland.com/datacentral...nd_figure.html

Consider the number of days below 10 degrees, and the number of days below zero, that were required to produce an average low of 12 degrees in the 1977-78 winter (defined as Dec. 22 through March 19 by the cleveland.com article), as indicated in the PD/NEOMG table linked in an earlier post. A winter like that would positively dismay those who thought we had a cold winter in the last few years.

Also, temperatures in more rural areas of Greater Cleveland likely were colder than downtown or at Cleveland Hopkins, where the weather statistics are recorded. Concrete masses store heat even in winter.>>

It's hard to grasp that Cleveland winters are disappearing over such relatively short interval that they are easily noticeable within a single lifetime. I seriously wonder whether we'll have any significant snowfalls by historical standards in Cleveland after 2030, let alone 2040.

So what was December 2021 like in the Lake County snowbelt? Never touched a snow shovel. Still have not started my snow blower, let alone filled it with gas (which I'll never do again). First time that I haven't staked my lawns to facilitate snow blowing and mark driveways before December, let alone before January (something I should do today). Greater Cleveland governments should be saving a fortune on salt and other snow removal costs (e.g., especially overtime labor). The snow plowing industry must be reeling to the extent that revenues are based on actual "pushes." Will customers demand lower seasonal contract prices in coming years?

[mshultz]

Here in Wooster, December 2021 had an average temperature of 39.7 F, compared to the historical average of 30.0 F. Snowfall records are no longer available; I'm guessing that guy retired and was not replaced. I believe I swept snow out of the driveway once or twice.

A very nice December. I'm glad we had a rainy Christmas instead of a white Christmas, as I traveled out of town that day. December 1997 had an average of 32.5 F. If this trend continues, then we will beat the winter of 1997-1998 for warmth. As much as I would like to see this, I am guessing it won't happen. January 1998 was 8.7 F above average, while February 1998 was 9.6 F above average.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by WRnative

The lowest highs of 33 degrees F. occurred on Dec. 14 and 15, according to Accuweather.

https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/cl...0127?year=2021

I misread the monthly calendar. The lowest highs of 33 degrees F. for December 2021, according to Accuweather, occurred on Dec. 7 and 8, not Dec. 14 and 15.

Just noticed that the Cleveland National Weather Service, unlike Accuweather, reported the Dec. 7 high as 31 degrees, making Dec. 7 the first day of winter 2021-22 with a high below freezing, and the only such day in December 2021, according to the National Weather Service.

https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=cle

I never knew that Accuweather statistics didn't rely on the official NWS records.

Looking at the December 2021 NWS temperature records, there were no daily lows below 20 degrees F. The lowest daily low was 22 degrees F. on Dec. 7. The NWS records also show that December 2021 was 6.2 degrees F. warmer than the 30-year "normal," which is extraordinarily likely IMO much higher than the historical average given global warming.

The NWS December 2021 records also show the average snow depth in December as 0.0. Only December 19 and 20 showed a trace amount of snow depth. The NWS reported 0.2 inches total snow for December compared to a 30-year normal of 12.2 inches. The NWS doesn't report a normal snow depth.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Just noticed that the Cleveland National Weather Service, unlike Accuweather, reported the Dec. 7 high as 31 degrees, making Dec. 7 the first day of winter 2021-22 with a high below freezing, and the only such day in December 2021, according to the National Weather Service.

https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=cle

I never knew that Accuweather statistics didn't rely on the official NWS records.

I wonder what alternate source Accuweather uses for its statistics. I too have noticed discrepancies.

I seem to recall several days in December where the high didn't break freezing. But it's tricky because, on some days, the daily high is reached at midnight just before a sharp drop in temperatures.

[WRnative]

Originally Posted by andrew61

I wonder what alternate source Accuweather uses for its statistics. I too have noticed discrepancies.

I seem to recall several days in December where the high didn't break freezing. But it's tricky because, on some days, the daily high is reached at midnight just before a sharp drop in temperatures.

Accuweather showed no December days in Cleveland with highs below freezing, and NOAA/National Weather Service recorded one Cleveland day in December with a high below freezing, all as explained and documented.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by WRnative

Accuweather showed no December days in Cleveland with highs below freezing, and NOAA/National Weather Service recorded one Cleveland day in December with a high below freezing, all as explained and documented.

I'm just saying that on a few of those days, the high for the day might've been reached just after midnight, and not during the daytime hours.