Northeast Ohio weather: October was cooler and drier than average

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) - As the headline implies, October was a slightly cooler-than-typical, and drier-than-average.

The average temperature in Cleveland was 53.9 degrees, which is 1.2 degrees below normal.

In Akron, the average temperature was 53.6 degrees.

That’s only 0.1 degree below average.

Mansfield, Toledo, and Youngstown also reported below-normal temperatures last month.

October was also drier than normal.

Cleveland accumulated 3.34 inches of precipitation, which is about a quarter of an inch below normal for October.

Akron only reported 2.38 inches of precipitation.

That’s nearly an inch below average.

Mansfield, Toledo, and Youngstown experienced very dry conditions last month.

In Mansfield, only 1.45 inches of precipitation fell, which is 1.71 inches below normal.

Toledo only accumulated 0.91 inch of precipitation, and Youngstown reported 1.94 inches.

We do not always experience measurable snow in October, but we certainly did last month.

[19 First Alert Weather Days: Lake effect rain and snow through Wednesday; unseasonably cold through mid-week]

On October 18th and 19th, Cleveland accumulated a trace of snow, as strong northwest winds moved over the warm, open waters of Lake Erie.

What’s considered normal snow for October in Cleveland?

About 0.1 of an inch.

Akron, a part of our secondary Snow Belt, actually accumulated more snow than Cleveland in last month.

From October 17th through the 19th, Akron reported 0.9 of an inch of snow.

That’s 0.6 of an inch above normal.

Mansfield also accumulated a trace of snow last month.

Youngstown, which is in our secondary Snow Belt, experienced the most snow, with a whopping 1.5 inches!

That’s 0.8 of an inch above normal.

A traditional harbinger of October is the arrival of often-vibrant, lively Fall color.

[19 First Alert Weather Spotters capture beautiful Fall colors]

This year, the colors were extraordinarily vibrant, due in part to the presence of several chilly Fall evenings.

Sunshine also helps the Fall foliage along, and we saw quite a bit of that in October.

As of Halloween, Fall color in Northeast Ohio was technically past its peak, however, there are still plenty of colorful leaves left on many local trees.

Enjoy them while we have them, if you’re able to.

As we look forward to November, the sunsets will get earlier, and the temperatures will get colder.

At least, they’re supposed to be getting colder.

November 2022 will begin on a warm note.

The 19 First Alert Weather Team is forecasting May-like warmth and high temperatures in the 70s later this week.

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