Photo: Ken Winters, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers · Public domainJuly in Rocky River stays fresher than in 86% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 23°. The year swings widely: the coldest month’s nights and the warmest month’s afternoons are 59° apart. It is a dry place: less rain and snow fall here than on 66% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 20, with the first autumn frost due around November 3.
A year in Rocky River at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Rocky River’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Rocky River’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in Rocky River feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 198 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 20 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cleveland, OH, 4 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Rocky River’s center in zone 7a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 1°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 64 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cleveland, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 38 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 159 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Rocky River
85% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Cleveland, OH.
Living with Rocky River’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
198 frost-free days in zone 7a. The last frost comes by Apr 20 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 2.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Rocky River from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 25%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Rocky River and its neighbors
Westlake has the coldest January nights next door (21°, 1° colder) and Westlake the hottest July afternoons (83°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Rocky River’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky River, OH | 23° | 81° | 38" | 64" |
| St. Joseph, MI | 20° | 82° | 38" | 78" |
| Michigan City, IN | 19° | 82° | 39" | 65" |
| Grand Island, NY | 18° | 81° | 37" | 72" |
| Beckley, WV | 23° | 81° | 44" | 56" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Rocky River averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.7°).
A bigger shift than in 55% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Rocky River compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Rocky River’s place among Ohio’s.
Rocky River weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Rocky River’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Cleveland, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 23° | 2.5" | 18.4" | 18 | 17 | 20° – 39° |
| February | 37° | 24° | 2.1" | 15.1" | 15 | 14 | 14° – 40° |
| March | 45° | 31° | 2.7" | 10.8" | 15 | 7 | 31° – 51° |
| April | 57° | 41° | 3.5" | 2.7" | 15 | 1 | 42° – 55° |
| May | 68° | 52° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 53° – 67° |
| June | 77° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| July | 81° | 67° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 65° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| September | 74° | 59° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 63° | 48° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 12 | 0 | 51° – 62° |
| November | 50° | 37° | 3.1" | 4.5" | 13 | 3 | 37° – 50° |
| December | 40° | 29° | 2.7" | 12.2" | 16 | 10 | 24° – 45° |
| Year | 59° | 45° | 38.3" | 63.8" | 159 | 52 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 14° to 40°. July is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Rocky River’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Rocky River’s center.
- Snow: Cleveland, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cleveland, OH, 4 miles from the town’s center, 100 ft higher; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Rocky River’s climate
What is the weather like in Rocky River?
A typical July afternoon reaches 81°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 64 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 55% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Rocky River in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 111 nights a year reach 32° or below and 3 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 20°.
How much snow does Rocky River get?
About 64 inches in a normal winter at Cleveland, OH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 52 days a year.
How hot does it get in Rocky River?
July, with a typical high of 81° and a low of 67°. About 12 days a year reach 90° (Cleveland, OH).
When is the first and last frost in Rocky River?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 20 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 198 frost-free days, at Cleveland, OH.
What growing zone is Rocky River in?
Zone 7a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 1°.
What is the best time of year to visit Rocky River?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Rocky River getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 55% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Rocky River.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.