Discover the 6 Coldest Places in Ohio

As the 24th coldest state in the country, Ohio sits right in the middle of the country’s temperature range with an average temperature of 51.7 degrees Fahrenheit. Ohio is exposed to incursions of very cold air masses from the Arctic in the winter because of its mid-latitude, interior location. The state also lacks mountains to the north and south leaving Ohio further exposed to frigid weather.

Thanks to Ohio’s location bordering Lake Erie to its north, the Midwestern state sees its share of lake-effect weather. Unlike many of the other seven states bordering the Great Lakes, however, Ohio is spared the worst lake-effect weather. As the shallowest of the Great Lakes, Lake Erie has the highest annual maximum ice cover. With ice regularly covering 80 percent or more of Lake Erie every winter, wind moving over the lake is less able to pick up the moisture it needs to create the heavy precipitation events called lake effect.

Lake Erie’s influence on Ohio’s climate varies across the state. Near-shore locations are much warmer in the winter and cooler throughout summer than areas situated away from the lake. Where, then, are the coldest places in Ohio? Let’s take a look at the six coldest places in Ohio and how chilly they get!

#6 Cleveland — 51.4 °F

Ohio’s second-largest city and the largest city on Lake Erie, Cleveland experiences warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Over the course of the year, the temperature varies from 22 degrees Fahrenheit to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. Cleveland’s January mean minimum is 22.3 degrees Fahrenheit. In the summer, its daily mean maximum for July is 83.7 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cleveland’s claims to fame are the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and being the home of Superman’s co-creator Jack Schuster. With 104.4 days a year below freezing, “C-town” is Ohio’s sixth coldest place with an average temperature of 51.4 degrees Fahrenheit. It is located in the northeastern region of the state. Weather.com rated Cleveland the country’s 14th coldest city.

#5 Sandusky — 51.4 °F

Located only 50 miles west of Cleveland on the banks of Lake Erie, Sandusky has the same average temperature as its bigger neighbor. Sandusky’s average high is slightly lower, however, at 58.2 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures in Sandusky typically vary from 22-81 degrees Fahrenheit over the course of the year. The city’s January mean minimum is 28.1 degrees Fahrenheit. In the summer, its daily mean maximum for July is 82.3 degrees Fahrenheit.

The “Welcoming City” boasts more than 26 miles of Lake Erie’s shoreline. Summers in Sandusky are warm and winters are freezing. The city’s skies are not as welcoming as its people, it seems, as partial clouds crowd out the sun most of the year. With 98.7 days of below-freezing temperatures annually, Sandusky is Ohio’s fifth coldest place. It is located in the northwestern region of Ohio.

#4 Toledo — 50.3 °F

Ohio’s fourth-largest city and fourth-coldest place is located another 50 miles west of Sandusky on the shoreline of Lake Erie. Toledo has warm summers and freezing, snowy, and windy winters. The area is partially cloudy year-round. Temperatures in Toledo vary between 19-83 degrees Fahrenheit. Toledo’s January mean minimum is 20.3 degrees Fahrenheit. In the summer, its daily mean maximum for July is 86.5 degrees Fahrenheit.

Known as “The Glass City” because of its historic innovation in the glass industry, Toledo spends 121.9 days below freezing. With an average temperature of 50.3 degrees Fahrenheit, this city in northwestern Ohio is the state’s fourth-coldest place. Weather.com rated Toledo the 11th coldest city in the United States.

#3 Akron — 49.9 °F

Akron is Ohio’s fifth-most populous city. It is located just 38 miles south of Cleveland. Famous for being the “Rubber Capital of the World,” Akron’s rubber industry includes B.F. Goodrich Tire, Firestone Tire, General Tire, and Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. This city in northeastern Ohio has warm summers that are partly cloudy. Its winters are also mostly cloudy, but freezing, snowy, and windy.

Over the course of the year, Akron’s temperature varies from 20-82 degrees Fahrenheit. The city’s January mean minimum is 20.3 degrees Fahrenheit. In the summer, its daily mean maximum for July is 84.3 degrees Fahrenheit. Ohio’s third-coldest place spends an average of 119.3 days with temperatures that never rise above 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Weather.com ranked Akron as the country’s 13th-coldest city.

#2 Youngstown — 49.1 °F

Ranked by Stacker as the coldest city in Ohio, Youngstown comes in second on our list based on having a higher average temperature than our number one coldest place. Located about 73 miles southeast of Cleveland, Youngstown’s cold season lasts from December 1 to March 4. Cold season average daily highs remain below 43 degrees Fahrenheit. At the height of winter, January temperatures average a low of 21 degrees Fahrenheit and a high of 34 degrees Fahrenheit.

Youngstown sits at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and is Ohio’s 11th-most populous city. The area experiences freezing temperatures about 123 days a year. Its average annual temperature of 49.1 degrees Fahrenheit makes Youngstown Ohio’s second-coldest place.

#1 Canfield — 47.7 °F

Coming in at a chilly number one, Canfield is the coldest place in Ohio with an annual average temperature of 47.7 degrees Fahrenheit. It is located about 10 miles southwest of Youngstown. With around 142.8 days of freezing temperatures, it’s no wonder USA Today ranked Canfield as the coldest town in Ohio.

The town of Canfield sits in what’s known as a “frost pocket.” The area’s topography, elevation, and cloud cover create an environment conducive to cold. Canfield is in a low-lying area just close enough to Lake Erie so that it gets lake-effect clouds during the day, but far enough away that those clouds break up and allow heat release at night.

“While you might think a town in the snowbelt or on the lakefront would be dubbed the coldest, the lake actually helps regulate temperature with heavier cloud cover keeping temperatures from falling at night,” WKBN27 reported. “It makes sense that we are dealing with a city that is on the outskirts of the shadows of Lake Erie cloud cover during the day and then at night it’s right on the edge where those clouds break up.”

The Six Coldest Places in Ohio Ranked