Ohio Climate
Top 5 Cities: Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Akron
This month in numbers
Ohio experienced an exceptionally warm and wet March 2026. The average temperature for March was 8.17°C, an anomaly of +4.4°C above the 1961–1990 baseline, ranking as the 3rd warmest March in 77 years of records. Maximum temperatures were even more striking, at 14.56°C, a +5.3°C anomaly, making it the 2nd warmest March for maximum temperatures on record. Precipitation also ranked high, with 133.6 mm, an anomaly of +50.4 mm, placing it as the 4th wettest March in 77 years.
What changed
Looking at the broader picture, the January–March 2026 average temperature of 0.63°C, an anomaly of +1.4°C, ranked 26th warmest for the period. While Ohio experienced significant warmth and rainfall in March, the state was also impacted by two drought events and one flood event over the past 12 months, with these recent occurrences representing 100% of the annual total for both types of events, indicating an unusual concentration of these extremes. Ohio's March temperature anomaly of +4.36°C placed it 27th globally among 234 regions, within a striking pattern where all of the top 10 warmest 1-month anomalies were US states.
What’s driving change?
The significant warming observed in Ohio during March can be attributed to , with winters warming faster than summers at high latitudes. The current ENSO state is Neutral, with an anomaly of +0.11°C, though forecasts indicate a likely transition to El Niño in the coming months, with a 61% probability for May-Jul and 79% for June-Aug. March also saw significant severe weather, with multiple severe thunderstorms and tornadoes impacting central and northern Ohio. An EF1 tornado with estimated peak winds of 95 mph hit Morrow County, and another EF1 tornado occurred near Kenton in Hardin County with 90 mph winds. Additionally, heavy rainfall led to widespread flooding across central Ohio, with some areas receiving over 2 inches of rain in 24 hours, causing waterways to run high and prompting flood warnings.
Looking ahead
The Climate Prediction Center's 8-14 day outlook for April 21–27, 2026, and the April precipitation outlook both suggest increased chances for warmer and wetter than average conditions across the Midwest.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
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Data Sources
Data Sources for Ohio
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in Ohio changing?
Ohio is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for Ohio come from?
Climate data for Ohio comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the Ohio climate data cover?
The Ohio climate profile covers Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo and surrounding areas. Ohio climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the Ohio climate update refreshed?
The Ohio climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.