Fall Foliage? (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Hamilton: to rent, houses, buy)

[Iraqvet]

I'm new to the Cincinnati area so this will be my first autumn spent in the region. Does Cincinnati usually have a spectacular display of fall foliage? When do the colors usually peak? Also, when does the cold weather start to settle in? I've heard from some people that Cincy can have harsh winters. Just wanted to get some input from you guys.

[goyguy]

The foliage display in and around Cincinnati can be showy, particularly towards mid-October. But the real "oooh and ahhh" areas in the region are:

Brown County, Indiana
Hocking Hills, Ohio
Red River Gorge, Kentucky

A nice leaf-peeping drive is along Ohio 125 (Beechmont Ave in Cincinnati.) Nature's artwork gets better and better the farther east you travel, as suburbia gives way to farmland and then to forests. You can reach the far end of 125 within about two hours, even by riding easy on the gas pedal. Then, as an alternative route back to the city, turn west on US 52. That highway parallels the Ohio River, affording sweeping foliage views in two states. Make a weekend out of this trek by booking a room at one of the B & B/inns in the region (in West Union, Maysville, and Ripley, among other towns.) The new Rosemary Clooney Museum in Maysville has got to be a neat place, then there are still other sights to see such as Grant's birthplace in Ripley and Underground Railroad "station" houses.

Thanks for your service to our country, BTW!

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Iraqvet

Also, when does the cold weather start to settle in? I've heard from some people that Cincy can have harsh winters.

I guess that depends on your definition of "harsh" -- when I moved to Cincinnati from Cleveland, I wondered what all the fuss was about.

It was OK, though, because I usually had the roads and the stores to myself.

As for when cold weather sets in, any time from early November to January. It just depends.

[aquila]

The intensity and range of colors in the fall foliage around Cincinnati is at the mercy of the weather in the 6 weeks leading up to mid-October. Last year, it was pretty bad because it was such a hot dry Summer. This year, I suspect it will be quite stunning. Ohio's foliage is underrated, including in the Cincinnati area. You can see brilliant yellows, oranges, and reds in Mt. Airy forest, Mitchell Memorial Forest, as well as in pocketed areas around the city including the hillsides of western Hamilton County, and the hills in northeast Hamilton county around places such as Indian Hill. Places such as Harbin Park in Butler county offer some great scenery, as does Hueston Woods (Butler/Preble county line around Oxford), and Warren County's Little Miami River Gorge, too. Yes, Hocking Hills is the fall foliage capital of Ohio, but also very crowded with traffic in the fall. Best to rent a cabin out there and take it all in. Other places such as Shawnee State Park (nicknamed the Little Smokies of Ohio because they resemble the real Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, just not as tall) to the west of Portsmouth, and Scioto Trail SP around Chillicothe, offer great endless tapestries of color.
Even if you can't make any of those trips around the area, you'll be able to see plenty of color in little pockets here and there.

In general, the leaves are at their peak sometime around the 16th-22nd of October. Here is a good site you can visit to keep a check on the status: http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/tabid/9584/Default.aspx

As for Ohio winters, don't let them scare you. They aren't nearly as harsh as our reputation seems to indicate. It doesn't get really cold around here until later in January, into February. Sometimes it's actually quite mild in December and January (we rarely see a white Christmas around here) with temps in the 50's and occasionally in the 60's. Personally, I hate that because I love a long cold winter. But at least it's better than the heat and humidity of the summer. As for snow, we usually only get minor bursts of about 2-3 inches here and there, with the occasional 5-7" storm blowing through. Sometimes, yes we get a foot of it at one time. Mostly, though, we only get cold rain and freezing rain/sleet. Watch out for those times, because the roads are slicker with black ice as opposed to snow. The snow doesn't really last much longer than a week at a time, and roads are cleared either naturally as a result of sunlight baking down on it and people constantly driving on it (which constributes to it turning into slush)....OR, the road crews do a decent job of having the roads cleared within 12-18 hours after the storm. We usually get our snows at night, and the morning commutes can sometimes be snowy, but the roads are clear by noon. At any rate, don't let those images of "harsh, monster Winters showing their teeth" scare you. It's not like that!

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by aquila

(we rarely see a white Christmas around here)

Y'all remember years ago, when the KKK first erected the cross on the square at Christmas? It snowed that year.

So ... I'm visiting the family in the Lake Erie snow belt in Pennsylvania, at a party with some friends. CNN happened to be on the the living room, and the story came on about the cross on the square.

Friend: Is this for real?
Me: What, you mean the snow?
Friend: Why would anyone want to ...
Me: OMG -- It's snowing!!
Friend: But this doesn't make any ...
Me: Wow! Look at the snow!!!

[aquila]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

Y'all remember years ago, when the KKK first erected the cross on the square at Christmas? It snowed that year.

So ... I'm visiting the family in the Lake Erie snow belt in Pennsylvania, at a party with some friends. CNN happened to be on the the living room, and the story came on about the cross on the square.

Friend: Is this for real?
Me: What, you mean the snow?
Friend: Why would anyone want to ...
Me: OMG -- It's snowing!!
Friend: But this doesn't make any ...
Me: Wow! Look at the snow!!!

LOL! Shocking, wasn't it?

I know it snows at Christmas sometimes. It's just rare, that's all.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the piddly little dustings and 1" bursts of snow that cause this city to freak out. People around here would never survive in Cleveland.

[Iraqvet]

Thanks for the info guys. I'm with you aquila, I love long cold snowy winters. My family thinks I'm crazy for that since I was primarily raised near the beach but I guess that is why I love "real" winter weather. The brief time that I spent in Chicago I actually liked the bitter cold wind chills because it afforded me the opportunity to pull out all my stylish gear such as my scarves, my Russian Trooper hats and such.

[aquila]

Originally Posted by Iraqvet

Thanks for the info guys. I'm with you aquila, I love long cold snowy winters. My family thinks I'm crazy for that since I was primarily raised near the beach but I guess that is why I love "real" winter weather. The brief time that I spent in Chicago I actually liked the bitter cold wind chills because it afforded me the opportunity to pull out all my stylish gear such as my scarves, my Russian Trooper hats and such.

I'm totally with you. Sometimes we luck-out in the Cincinnati area, and get nailed by a bitter cold, snowy winter. As I say, it's "invigorating". But that's incredibly rare.

People around this town who can't stand winter.....well, they need to move their tushes to Florida. Oh man, you should hear them on the news sometimes. Whine, whine, whine. Seriously. If the weatherman calls for even a 1-2" snowfall, you should hear them gasp and moan. Honestly, I think they forgot to pick up the cheese that goes along with that "whine" while they were stocking up on groceries because they think "Oh my, here comes a possible 2" of snow. Death, destruction, and catastrophe awaits us, and surely we'll never make it through this one." Interesting how they all think that way, but sure enough the next day you'll see everyone out at the sledding hills or foraging through the shelves at the video store as a result of school being canceled and their bosses told them not to come in. Truly, I'd hate to see how they react in a blizzard. Personally, I'd love it. But alas, I'm a dreamer.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by Iraqvet

The brief time that I spent in Chicago I actually liked the bitter cold wind chills because it afforded me the opportunity to pull out all my stylish gear such as my scarves, my Russian Trooper hats and such.

Well, there's another thing that is lacking among many Cincinnati natives -- proper winter gear! People moan about an inch of snow because their shoes get wet. Here's a clue: Buy a pair of boots!!

There's no such thing as bad weather; there is only inappropriate clothing.

[aquila]

Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81

There's no such thing as bad weather; there is only inappropriate clothing.

Oh hey, I'm gonna have to remember that saying! Of course, I should probably heed it as well. Last Winter when we got the foot of snow, I was out trekking around with plastic grocery bags tied around my angles, and wearing only my sweat pants, a suede shirt, and a spring jacket.

Loved every minute of it.