Ohio climate
Ohio’s summers are warm, and most of the state hits 32 degrees (Celsius) for at least a few days in August. It can also be sticky with high humidity, especially in the south. Late spring and early summer are the rainy seasons, with occasional thunderstorms. Spring is mild with temperatures ranging from one to 21 degrees in the northeast and four to 22 in the southwest.Autumn has sunny days with temperatures ranging from tens to low 20s and beautiful foliage. Winters are cold with temperatures as low as the teens and plenty of snow near the lake.
When to fly to Ohio
Peak Season:
Summer is the high season for Ohio flights, with the biggest crowds in outdoor hotspots, such as the campgrounds and rivers, and especially the Lake Erie shore and islands. The cities are also busy, but the crowds are more manageable.
Autumn is when most tourists head for southern Ohio for the foliage.
Off Season:
Winter is the slowest tourism season in Ohio, and there is not much to do.
Spring is the best off-season time to visit Ohio. Prices are down, crowds are thin and the weather is great.
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Getting around Ohio
The Akron-Canton and Port Columbus airports have flights to Ohio destinations. Amtrak train routes stop at Cincinnati, Cleveland, or Toledo, and there is bus service throughout the state.
Public transportation is a good option in the larger cities. Cincinnati’s Metro runs local commuter buses, Cleveland’s Regional Transit Authority (RTA) operates a bus and train system, and in Columbus the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) runs local buses. Cincinnati is also a great city for walking.
Driving is recommended for the rest of the state, particularly if you want to explore the Amish country or Ohio’s many scenic byways.
Sections of the Ohio to Erie Trail are open. This trail is open to bikes, horses, skates, snowshoes, and cross-country skis, but no automobiles. Scheduled for completion in 2010, the trail will be approximately 325 miles and run from Cincinnati to Lake Erie.
Ohio insider information
- The Pumpkin show in Circleville, Pickaway County, is more than 100 years old, and takes place in October. Apart from the actual pumpkin show, there are parades (baby and pet), Miss Pumpkin and Little Miss Pumpkin pageants, Hog calling, egg tossing, big wheel race and pumpkin toss.
- The German Village is a historic part of Columbus, which was settled by German immigrants in the mid-1800s. Anti-German sentiment in the early years of the 20th century and the closing of local breweries during the Prohibition years contributed to the area’s decline, but it was saved in the 1960s by local people. It has restaurants, an annual Oktoberfest and traditional events celebrating its German heritage.
- The Longaberger Home Office Building in Newark is a very different office building. It is shaped like a picnic basket complete with basket handles and tags (328-kg (725-pound) gold-leaf painted). It is open to visitors Monday to Saturday.
- The Wright Cycle Company, the restored bicycle shop owned and operated by Orville and Wilbur Wright, the airplane inventors, is one of four sites around Dayton making up the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park. The Wright-Dunbar Interpretative Center is next door.
- The top of Mount Adams, 249 metres (818 feet), is dominated by Eden Park, which contains the Cincinnati Art Museum and the Playhouse in the Park. There is a village on the lower slopes of the mountain with charming shops and restaurants.
- Clifton Mill dates from 1802 and is the largest remaining water-powered grist mill in the US. There is a country store and restaurant where the buckwheat pancakes are a specialty.
- The Seven Caves in southern Ohio is composed of a 70-foot gorge, cut by Rocky Fork and Paint Creeks. There are well-marked trails through the caves which include Witches Phantom, Bear, McKimie, Marble, Dancing, and Cave of the Springs.