Why is it always cloudy in Ohio???

Question

If anyone else lives in Ohio, It seems like everyday is gray. I remember I visited down south, and as soon as we drove into Cincinnati from Kentucky it was dark and raining. Why is so cloudy?

Answer 1

Great explanation, Tami; I never really understood that.  I now live in the DC area but grew up in NE Ohio and the cloudiness was a bit depressing.  

Answer 2

Well, this depends on many factors, some of which may be coincidental and/or just a matter of timing (referring to your Cincinnati ordeal).

Ohio, namely northeastern Ohio, is one of the cloudiest places in the US thanks to Lake Erie. This is more of a late fall, winter, and occasionally early spring phenomenon.

During these times of the year, the water of Erie plays a role in the weather. Any time cooler air moves across water that is relatively warmer, you can get low level cloud coverage. We can say that the lake creates its own little low level "airmass", I suppose.

Picture the winter time. We in Ohio get many low pressure systems coming through our region. Now, ahead of a low pressure system, everyone gets clouds and precipitation. However BEHIND a low pressure system, everyone typically gets clearing skies (not always, though, as many low pressure systems carry with them some clouds on the back side of the low). Generally speaking, though, some clearing, if not complete clearing, does occur.

However, no clearing for NE Ohio. Nope. Behind a low brings in cold, blustery northwesterly - northerly winds, and those cold winds go right across that big lake. Clouds form. And many times, lake effect snow occurs.

In a scenario such as the one listed above, a satellite image says it all. You'll see the entire region clearing out - all except for those in the path of the lake effect clouds- thanks to Lake Erie!

I could really go into detail and explain all of this to you meteorologically, but I think you pretty much get the drift of why Ohio is, on average, cloudier than other places in the US.

There is even a huge military arsenal that was originally put here because the high amount of cloud coverage made it easier to keep secret from spy planes!