The sky around dawn on Sunday was kind of cool

 

Snowboarding in Beacon Hill, Boston

#urbanism #carfree #BostonBlizzard pic.twitter.com/x9sn9dn6KZ

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/cleveland-metro/more-snow-on-the-way-could-leave-side-streets-unplowed-until-the-end-of-the-week

http://www.newsnet5.com/news/local-news/cleveland-metro/more-snow-on-the-way-could-leave-side-streets-unplowed-until-the-end-of-the-week

 

Meanwhile in Cincinnati it hasn't snowed at all since one 6"  event in November - it's been a bit colder than average, but dry.

I posted a bunch of Cleveland snow pics here:

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,27241.msg743329.html#msg743329

I love snow (I hate winters where everything is dormant and nothing to look at).... but it is getting that time of year where it is starting to wear on me.

Yep, I tend to hibernate this time of year. I'm able to work at home most days and, for a while, it's kind of fun. But if I spend too much time hibernating, I really need to get out even if it's cold. This time of the year, it wears on me too. A few breaks in the weather can do a lot to energize me, but we've gone a few weeks of snowfalls every 2-4 days. And yep, it's snowing again today!

I grow tired of winter about ten seconds into the first snowfall.

 

The one snowfall Cincy has gotten was a, "oh look it snowed last night, it's pretty. *steps outside with dog* Yeah I'm over this." I've been hoping for unseasonably warm temperatures ever since. As much as I love winter coats and scarves I can't wait to break out my spring jackets and lighter shoes and open my windows again.

Yep, I tend to hibernate this time of year. I'm able to work at home most days and, for a while, it's kind of fun. But if I spend too much time hibernating, I really need to get out even if it's cold. This time of the year, it wears on me too. A few breaks in the weather can do a lot to energize me, but we've gone a few weeks of snowfalls every 2-4 days. And yep, it's snowing again today!

 

Come to SW Ohio, its a different Climate!

 

http://forums.accuweather.com/index.php?s=&showtopic=32172&view=findpost&p=1975089

QUOTE(UTWeather @ Feb 3 2015, 08:58 PM) *

Why does southern Ohio and most of WV get the shaft? Eastern PA and Northern parts of Maryland do well.

 

Probably the easiest answer is the model biases... "warm advection always wins". The southeast high pressure may trend to be stronger than expected, or the Arctic high trends weaker than expected.

 

IMO, at least part of it lies in climatology. South Ohio is on the far south edge of humid continental (Dfa) and the far north edge of humid subtropical (Cfa).

This comes from the Wikipedia page

 

QUOTE

Although predominantly not in a subtropical climate, some warmer-climate flora and fauna does reach well into Ohio. For instance, a number of trees with more southern ranges, such as the blackjack oak, Quercus marilandica, are found at their northernmost in Ohio just north of the Ohio River. Also evidencing this climatic transition from a subtropical to continental climate, several plants such as the Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora), Albizia julibrissin (mimosa), Crape Myrtle, and even the occasional Needle Palm are hardy landscape materials regularly used as street, yard, and garden plantings in the Bluegrass region of Ohio; but these same plants will simply not thrive in much of the rest of the State. This interesting change may be observed while traveling through Ohio on Interstate 75 from Cincinnati to Toledo; the observant traveler of this diverse state may even catch a glimpse of Cincinnati's common wall lizard, one of the few examples of permanent "subtropical" fauna in Ohio.

 

The difference in climate is also evident if you look at the climatology difference between Cincinnati and Dayton. Keep in mind, only 60 miles separates Cincinnati and Dayton.

 

http://average-snowfall.findthebest.com/l/...Cincinnati-Ohio

http://average-snowfall.findthebest.com/l/6475/Dayton-Ohio

 

http://weatherspark.com/averages/30785/Cin...o-United-States

http://weatherspark.com/averages/30029/Day...o-United-States

 

Sorry I went off on a SW Ohio-centric tangent, but my point is that the climate "line" is actually quite well founded... which could be part of the answer to your question. That climate line probably has to do with typical low tracks.

^ We talked about this a few page back, but I don't know where these sources keep getting 11" of snowfall as Cincinnati's annual average. The average is just over 22" per year using the 30 year average, and Cincy has only had below 11" of snow 3 times in the past 30 years (though this year could be another). It's a lot better than up north, but we're not quite Kentucky.

^^Can't stand those Ohio Valley humidity/heatwaves.  That was a major motivation of me moving back up north.  I'd much rather deal with the snowier winters.  You toughen up to it in no time at all. 

Yep, I tend to hibernate this time of year. I'm able to work at home most days and, for a while, it's kind of fun. But if I spend too much time hibernating, I really need to get out even if it's cold. This time of the year, it wears on me too. A few breaks in the weather can do a lot to energize me, but we've gone a few weeks of snowfalls every 2-4 days. And yep, it's snowing again today!

 

Come to SW Ohio, its a different Climate!

 

Hell no! I love snow and I hate heat. I don't drive much and hibernating is fun.

 

But if you think we got a lot of snow in NE Ohio, check this out. And this is why railroads don't use snowplows anymore. They just run trains...

 

Can't stand those Ohio Valley humidity/heatwaves.  That was a major motivation of me moving back up north.  I'd much rather deal with the snowier winters.  You toughen up to it in no time at all.

 

There really isn't much difference between summers in, say, Parma or summers in Kettering.  They're hot, they're Ohio humid, and they're insufferable (ask Chicago).  The only side I can see is the lake breeze for areas within a mile or two of Lake Erie but overall, hot in Youngstown is hot in Batavia which is hot in Norwalk which is hot in Marietta.  The same can't be said for winter.

There's a noticeable difference to me. Heat affects different people differently. That added 5 or 10 degrees with corresponding increase in humidity makes a huge difference to me. Anytime I'm in cincy I am downtown so maybe the lower elevation makes a difference, but the thickness in the air mid summer is noticeably different. And it's the consistency of the heat humidity which wears on me. We have our heat waves for sure, where we are hotter than places far south of us, thereby spiking our averages, but they typically come and go fairly quickly

 

But let's be real.  If it's 88 and humid as hell in Parma, and it's 92 and humid as hell in Kettering, it's not going to nearly affect you as, say, -10 with lake effect in Mentor versus 5 degrees in Batavia with no snow.  Clearly, winters in different parts of Ohio vary to a much larger degree than summers in Ohio.

Sorry, but within a couple miles of the lake, we just don't get that hot in the summer. In fact, the hottest time of the day in summer is right around 10-11 p.m. when the lake-breeze reverses and sends the hot air from inland over all the buildings and pavement that was heated earlier in the day. We may have been in the low- to mid-80s in the afternoon and early evening, but it can jump up to 90 shortly before midnight.

 

And if you don't like snow in Northern Ohio, move. No one wants to hear you bitchin' anyway!

But let's be real.  If it's 88 and humid as hell in Parma, and it's 92 and humid as hell in Kettering, it's not going to nearly affect you as, say, -10 with lake effect in Mentor versus 5 degrees in Batavia with no snow.  Clearly, winters in different parts of Ohio vary to a much larger degree than summers in Ohio.

 

I was being 'real.'  I said nothing about the winters, although I will now say that -10 is a very rare occurrence absent a polar vortex.  The bigger variations in the winter is the snow, not so much the cold, and that variation depends on what part of NEO you are talking about.  My original point is that I would take the additional cold and snow over the additional heat and humidity.  The heat and humidity just saps me.  I get heat exhaustion easier than most.  I still get anxiety from the smell of morning dew on the grass following a hot night from going through two-a-days in August in North Carolina 15-20 years ago.  Like I said, it affects different people differently.

But let's be real.  If it's 88 and humid as hell in Parma, and it's 92 and humid as hell in Kettering, it's not going to nearly affect you as, say, -10 with lake effect in Mentor versus 5 degrees in Batavia with no snow.  Clearly, winters in different parts of Ohio vary to a much larger degree than summers in Ohio.

 

I was being 'real.'  I said nothing about the winters, although I will now say that -10 is a very rare occurrence absent a polar vortex.  The bigger variations in the winter is the snow, not so much the cold, and that variation depends on what part of NEO you are talking about.  My original point is that I would take the additional cold and snow over the additional heat and humidity.  The heat and humidity just saps me.  I get heat exhaustion easier than most.  I still get anxiety from the smell of morning dew on the grass following a hot night from going through two-a-days in August in North Carolina 15-20 years ago.  Like I said, it affects different people differently.

 

True that.  I associate the smell of fresh cut grass (or perhaps it is actually the dew) with two a days, though perhaps perversely the memory is fond.  Of course, Maple Heights was not North Carolina.

 

I don't find that I mind cold much at all, even polar vortex levels of cold.  I despise s***, but that's because it gets in the way of doing things on a lingering basis.  I would say, emphatically, that we have the best overall weather anywhere from April through every November.

I love snow until about late January and then I get tired of it. But I still get pissed when a big snowstorm misses us. When one does hit us after Jan. 30, it renews my love for snow for the same reason I love violent thunderstorms. It's a chance to watch mother nature flex her muscles and put humans in their tiny little place. Sometimes I think humans need a reminder they're not in charge of this planet despite our growing ability to poison it.

 

But yes, the weather along the shores of the Great Lakes is some of the best in the world from about Memorial Day until about Halloween. It is very inconsistent however in the spring and also frustratingly tantalizing as a beautiful spring day starts in the morning with temperatures rising into the 70s until about noon.... And then the lake breeze kicks in and drops the temperatures into the 50s until sometime after dinner time when it starts to rise again with the reverse lake breeze I wrote about a couple of posts ago. By 11 p.m., we reach the warmest time of the day as the land exhales back to the lake over all the sun-heated buildings and pavement.

 

At midnight, I like sitting on my balcony by Lakewood's Gold Coast and overlook the city. A strong south wind blows 80-degree air back to Lake Erie, sometimes on very strong winds. The Great Lakes are amazing weather machines for anyone with a love of weather to experience. And by the summer, those 55-degree lake breezes of spring are warmed to 75-degree on-shore breezes while you folks 10 miles inland are sweating your butts off!

 

View from my balcony towards downtown Cleveland with a strong reverse lake breeze pushing fast-moving clouds (emphasized with the aid of a time-exposure)....

 

It was 59 degrees in Cincinnati today. I wore shorts and had all my windows open, which was great because I was ripping out old drywall all day.

 

I agree that the humidty/temperature during August is awful in Cincinnati. The lack of wind is what makes it miserable in most places but I'm lucky enough to live atop a steep cliff of about 100 feet or so, so my house gets a decent breeze no matter what, but I still can't get away with opening windows - the breeze just feels like it came from a giant hair dryer.

I'm lucky my place in OTR gets a fabulous cross-breeze because it can get quite hot/sticky here in the summer. And the difference between being on top of the hills and in the valley is always surprisingly stark. Whenever I leave work in Hyde Park and watch my thermostat it generally increases by around 5-8 degrees as I head into Downtown/OTR. Being from Cleveland originally there's also quite the noticeable difference from Cleveland to Cincy in the summer. My parents' house in Broadview Heights is generally pretty comfortable in the summer months. Generally never gets more than 85 and there's always a pleasant breeze and not overly humid. Cincy though? Yeah it's 95 and sticky. It gets rough.

You guys were talking about the differences in temperature between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Today's recorded max temperatures -- 42 in Cle, 57 in Cinci.

It's all mental and based on what you prefer. Average temps aren't dramatically different between the cities:

 

Cleveland January average high/low temp: 34/22

 

Cincinnati January average high/low temp: 39/22

 

Cleveland July average high/low temp: 83/64

 

Cincinnati July average high/low temp: 87/66

 

Again, the data shows it's mostly in one's head. Especially in the winter months.

You guys were talking about the differences in temperature between Cincinnati and Cleveland. Today's recorded max temperatures -- 42 in Cle, 57 in Cinci.

 

Using a single day is a bad example. It's going to be 60 here in DC tomorrow while it will be 25 and snowing in Boston. Yet average highs are only about 10 degrees apart this time of year (45 vs. 35). Sometimes single day weather amplifies differences but it all comes back to the average in the end.

As they say, its not the heat its the humidity.

Using averages can also be a bad measure due to spikes/drops..... Especially up along the the Great Lakes.  Like the saying goes, if you don't like the weather in Cleveland, wait 5 minutes.  Averages also don't account for wind, which makes it cooler here in the summer and colder in the winter.  Without accounting for wind chill and humidity, you don't get the "real feel".  What the Ohio Valley has is much more consistent temps, which can be a good or bad thing depending on your tastes

In meteorology, especially if using an average, 4 to 5 degrees is actually quite significant.

 

Another way to look at summer temperature differences is the average number of 90 degree days or higher. This rises quickly the farther south you go:

 

Cleveland: 9

Columbus: 15

Cincinnati: 21

 

There are many heat waves that never make it as far north as Cleveland, and if you live along the lake, there may only be a handful of days that get above 90 each year.

I'm lucky my place in OTR gets a fabulous cross-breeze because it can get quite hot/sticky here in the summer. And the difference between being on top of the hills and in the valley is always surprisingly stark. Whenever I leave work in Hyde Park and watch my thermostat it generally increases by around 5-8 degrees as I head into Downtown/OTR.

 

Same here when I drive south from the Gold Coast in Lakewood on a spring afternoon. It may be 60 at my building, but as I head south on West 117th, the temperature will climb 5-10 degrees in one or two miles. Go five miles south, and it's in the 80s.

 

It works the other way too, of course. I'll be driving with the windows down and the sunroof open as I head north on West 117th. By the time I get to Detroit Avenue, I have to close all the windows and sunroof!

 

This is a bummer in spring because it's such a tease. But I have to remind myself that I'll be able to open the windows later when the reverse lake breeze kicks in. And of course the lake breeze is a godsend in summer!

Having lived in Medina County, where my parents still do and now living in downtown Cincinnati, I can tell you that the weather difference is significant. Especially the snowfall and temps in spring and fall. I don't know how many times my dad has told me he's just gotten in from snow blowing another 6" off the driveway while I'm looking at bare ground and temps in the 40s. And when we do get snow it usually doesn't stick around long.

wow absolutely no mercy in boston --

 

http://www.weather.com/storms/winter/video/more-snow-for-boston-from-winter-storm-marcus

^^You don't know how many times?  How often does Medina get 6" of snow?  Is Medina considered to be in the snow belt?  I live in the inner ring of the east side and we get 6" (at one time) maybe three or four times a year, if that...... this last storm being one of those occasions.  1-4 inches is much more the norm.  I have taken notice of this in the past few year's as my in-laws live on the east coast.  While our snow is more constant, it rarely drops more than a few inches in one storm.  Meanwhile, it is much more common on the east coast to get those massive storms of a foot or more, which I have only seen a handful of times in my entire life.

Having lived in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati my own experience is that in general Cincy and Cbus are between the same temperature and 5 or so degrees warmer than Cleveland with some days Cincy or Cbus being more than 10 degrees warmer and some days Cleveland being warmer depending on wind direction and the timing of fronts as they move in.

 

All of Ohio is in the Humid Continental Climate zone with Southern Cincinnati (basin and along the river) and Northern Kentucky being considered the southernmost extent of this zone and northernmost extent of the Humid Subtropical climate zone characteristic of much of the Southeastern US.

 

What's also interesting is that Northern Coastal Counties in Ohio and some of the southern most counties in Ohio have the 6b climate zone (warmest in the state). I suspect because of the Southern Ohio Counties southern proximity and the breezes that come off the lake in late fall and early spring that warm the northern areas.

I hear you southern belles in Cincinnati are getting a dusting of snow today. Ain't that cute! I also hear you all (translated as y'all) are acting like it's....

 

I will say this...... the combination of freezing cold and snow is much more dangerous in Cincy considering the topography.

I will say this...... the combination of freezing cold and snow is much more dangerous in Cincy considering the topography.

 

More dangerous if you're an idiot.  Cars don't simply drift downhill out of control.  Ironically a lot of the small import cars with front-wheel drive seem to do better climbing the hills than do the macho American cars and trucks. 

^For certain if those macho vehicles have rear-wheel drive...... but even 4-wheel drive doesn't do much for you on ice except give you a false sense of security.  My wife has an AWD SUV and I would much rather drive my car with a manual transmission on slippery/icy roads.  Her AWD, however, makes driving through deep snow covered roads a piece of cake.

Some employees over at the LeanDog barge decided to make the best of a very icy great lake.

I will say this...... the combination of freezing cold and snow is much more dangerous in Cincy considering the topography.

 

More dangerous if you're an idiot.  Cars don't simply drift downhill out of control.  Ironically a lot of the small import cars with front-wheel drive seem to do better climbing the hills than do the macho American cars and trucks.

 

It's definitely more dangerous. And yes, cars can drift downhill out of control even when you're going really slowly and driving really carefully. The hardest thing is making it uphill when going at a slow pace. Even on small hills (like the one from Vine to Old St. George in Clifton Heights) cars struggle to make it up after being stopped at the light. People were pushing a car up the hill while other cars were zipping past. It's dangerous for everyone out there.

 

I couldn't even park on my street because I live on a hillside and the streets weren't plowed. I had to park a block downhill and take some of the steps up to my street. You don't have to be an idiot for it to be dangerous. And it's more dangerous for everyone considering idiots can crash into you. So while you may be infallible, others may still screw up and hit you.

 

Everyone should be really careful, and be sure to leave a lot of room between you and the car in front of you.

I will say this...... the combination of freezing cold and snow is much more dangerous in Cincy considering the topography.

 

More dangerous if you're an idiot.  Cars don't simply drift downhill out of control.  Ironically a lot of the small import cars with front-wheel drive seem to do better climbing the hills than do the macho American cars and trucks.

 

It's definitely more dangerous. And yes, cars can drift downhill out of control even when you're going really slowly and driving really carefully. The hardest thing is making it uphill when going at a slow pace. Even on small hills (like the one from Vine to Old St. George in Clifton Heights) cars struggle to make it up after being stopped at the light. People were pushing a car up the hill while other cars were zipping past. It's dangerous for everyone out there.

 

I couldn't even park on my street because I live on a hillside and the streets weren't plowed. I had to park a block downhill and take some of the steps up to my street. You don't have to be an idiot for it to be dangerous. And it's more dangerous for everyone considering idiots can crash into you. So while you may be infallible, others may still screw up and hit you.

 

Everyone should be really careful, and be sure to leave a lot of room between you and the car in front of you.

 

I've driven in the snow without incident for 20 years and delivered pizzas in the snow around UC many times and have never gotten stuck or hit anything.  I did have to shovel my way out of the parking lot at 1805 Digby one time, but that was it.  Also I got into an argument in front of that same building during another snow-related incident, when some b*** decided to move into 1805 Digby during a snow storm and her SUV was blocking the road's single snow-free lane.  I told her she needed to pull into the lot and she said she couldn't get in the lot and I told her well then maybe you should try moving into the building some other time at which point she got irate and called her boyfriend to come over and kick my ass.  I told her she doesn't even have a boyfriend at which point she got in the vehicle and sped off. 

We got anywhere from 12"-15" in Kentucky today, breaking most records. It was a dry snow, but it's been so bitterly cold that nothing was salted or brimed. The snow came down so quickly that roads that were cleared were recovered, which also made side roads impossible for many to turn into since the snow was piled across those entrances. I saw a lot of stuck cars and there was three separate incidents in front of our building alone. A small grade, a drop-off and boy, cars come over the hill and crash.

 

Do you want to kill a snow-mannnn......

I got a "new" car this year, a 2012 with ABS & traction control.  It's unbelievably stable in the snow.  I don't think I could spin that thing out if I wanted to.  It makes wonder even more how all of these new SUV's end up skidding off the highway, since they all must have ABS and traction control also.  People are just total, total idiots.   

^driving too fast and a lack of knowledge of the fundamentals of physics is a scary thing.

Yeah I was going about 45 on the cleared lane on the interstate last night, and sure enough people were driving 55 or 60 in the unplowed lanes.  Come on. 

For the most part Winter in SW Ohio has been mild this year. Two more weeks until I hit the DR

 

 

 

Though I was wearing shorts just a week and a half ago, the low tonight in Cincinnati is -11, and tomorrow the low is -14 (both of which will be records).

 

I have been renovating my house and added R-19 insulation throughout the ground floor, which was previously sparsely insulated by R7.5 foam in some places, which allowed for all sorts of cold drafts.  I just finished up this past weekend and got everything drywalled over. I guess I was just in time.

I will say this...... the combination of freezing cold and snow is much more dangerous in Cincy considering the topography.

 

More dangerous if you're an idiot.  Cars don't simply drift downhill out of control.  Ironically a lot of the small import cars with front-wheel drive seem to do better climbing the hills than do the macho American cars and trucks. 

 

True enough, I had a hill going into my old complex that my Camaro could not manage if it was snow covered.  I used Holly's Camry on those days.

 

It's important to remember that while winter driving is more dangerous if you're an idiot, the danger (and delay) level is greatly magnified by the "other idiots" when applicable.  I can see this being more the case in Cincy because of topography and frequency.

Though I was wearing shorts just a week and a half ago, the low tonight in Cincinnati is -11, and tomorrow the low is -14 (both of which will be records).

 

I have been renovating my house and added R-19 insulation throughout the ground floor, which was previously sparsely insulated by R7.5 foam in some places, which allowed for all sorts of cold drafts.  I just finished up this past weekend and got everything drywalled over. I guess I was just in time.

 

Did you do rigid insulation in the walls and under the floor?  My house had zero insulation whatsoever when I bought it.  I had insulation blown in the attic last summer and it made a dramatic difference.  The energy efficiency graph that Duke Energy sends you quarterly shows a pretty dramatic difference. 

Though I was wearing shorts just a week and a half ago, the low tonight in Cincinnati is -11, and tomorrow the low is -14 (both of which will be records).

 

I have been renovating my house and added R-19 insulation throughout the ground floor, which was previously sparsely insulated by R7.5 foam in some places, which allowed for all sorts of cold drafts.  I just finished up this past weekend and got everything drywalled over. I guess I was just in time.

 

Did you do rigid insulation in the walls and under the floor?  My house had zero insulation whatsoever when I bought it.  I had insulation blown in the attic last summer and it made a dramatic difference.  The energy efficiency graph that Duke Energy sends you quarterly shows a pretty dramatic difference. 

 

I used fiberglass batts in the existing stud (original, circa 1880 non-standard sized stud) cavities in the lower floor. The upper floors have some R-13 in places, though not everywhere, and there’s R7.5 rigid behind the siding on the exterior. The problem was the lowest floor can be anywhere from 10-20 degrees cooler than the middle floor on a sunny day because the south wall is basically all glass on the middle floor, and that’s the floor that has the thermostat. There appears to be blown insulation under the floor, but without doing too much exploratory demo I have no way of knowing how complete it is. I think they just did it around the edges.