It doesn't stay cold for long in Cleveland anymore
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
As you're enjoying this amazing weather, you may find yourself wondering — is the cold coming back?
Why it matters: Even if it does, it's not likely to last for a long stretch.
Driving the news: Cold weather streaks in Cleveland have gotten six days shorter on average since 1970, Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report from a new Climate Central analysis.
Reality check: Prolonged cold snaps still happen — Cleveland's longest of 2023 lasted six days.
- Yes, but: That's nothing compared with the city's longest cold streak between 1970 and 2023, which came in 1977 and lasted 46 days.
The big picture: Cold streaks are largely getting shorter on average nationwide, per Climate Central.
What they did: Climate Central defines a "winter cold streak" as "at least two consecutive December-February days with average temperatures below the 1991-2020 winter normal average temperature" at a given location.
What they found: "Winter's longest cold streaks have gotten shorter since 1970 in 98% of 240 U.S. locations analyzed," per the report.
The bottom line: Even when it's cold for a few days, be thankful it's not 1977.
Go deeper: Spring could still be months away in Northeast Ohio