Best time to visit Cincinnati
The best time to visit Cincinnati is October, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3.9 °C / 39 °F | -3.7 °C / 25 °F | 80 mm / 3.1 in | neither best nor good |
| February | 6.1 °C / 43 °F | -2.7 °C / 27 °F | 89 mm / 3.5 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 12.7 °C / 55 °F | 2.8 °C / 37 °F | 112 mm / 4.4 in | good month |
| April | 18.6 °C / 65 °F | 8.1 °C / 47 °F | 115 mm / 4.5 in | good month |
| May | 23.7 °C / 75 °F | 14.1 °C / 57 °F | 108 mm / 4.2 in | good month |
| June | 28.2 °C / 83 °F | 18.7 °C / 66 °F | 106 mm / 4.2 in | good month |
| July | 29.6 °C / 85 °F | 20.6 °C / 69 °F | 100 mm / 4 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 29.1 °C / 84 °F | 19.5 °C / 67 °F | 66 mm / 2.6 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 26.1 °C / 79 °F | 15.7 °C / 60 °F | 68 mm / 2.7 in | good month |
| October | 19.4 °C / 67 °F | 9.2 °C / 49 °F | 78 mm / 3.1 in | best month |
| November | 12.2 °C / 54 °F | 3 °C / 37 °F | 77 mm / 3 in | good month |
| December | 6.9 °C / 44 °F | -0.5 °C / 31 °F | 99 mm / 3.9 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: good
- AApril: good
- MMay: good
- JJune: good
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: good
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- October
- Good
- March–June, September, November
Cincinnati's best exploring weather is in October, mild, dry and sunny; spring (Mar-May) is pleasant but often rainy, midsummer (Jul-Aug) turns hot and humid, and Dec-Feb are cold, dull and wet, leaving them poor for walking tours.
Why these months
March · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 67%, relative humidity 63%.
Against: precipitation 112 mm / 4.4 in, wet days 10.9 days, days with heavy rain 3.9 days, feels like (high) 9.4 °C / 49 °F, average daily high 12.7 °C / 55 °F, average daily low 2.8 °C / 37 °F.
Also on: Bockfest, Cincinnati International Wine Festival, St Patrick's Day Parade.
Watch out for: Easter and Good Friday, Winter and early-spring shortened hours.
April · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.4 °C / 62 °F, average daily high 18.6 °C / 65 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 71%, relative humidity 61%, average daily low 8.1 °C / 47 °F.
Against: precipitation 115 mm / 4.5 in, wet days 12.1 days, days with heavy rain 4.2 days.
Also on: Cincinnati Reds Opening Day, Findlay Market Parade, Spring blooms.
Watch out for: Easter and Good Friday.
May · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 23.6 °C / 74 °F, average daily high 23.7 °C / 75 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 72%, average daily low 14.1 °C / 57 °F, relative humidity 66%.
Against: wet days 12.8 days, precipitation 108 mm / 4.2 in, days with heavy rain 4 days.
Also on: Cincinnati May Festival, Cincy-Cinco, Flying Pig Marathon, Taste of Cincinnati.
Watch out for: Memorial Day.
June · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 81%, average daily high 28.2 °C / 83 °F, average daily low 18.7 °C / 66 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 29.9 °C / 86 °F, wet days 11.9 days, precipitation 106 mm / 4.2 in, days with heavy rain 3.8 days, relative humidity 67%.
Also on: Cincinnati Pride Festival, Cincy Fringe Festival.
Watch out for: Juneteenth.
September · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 26.7 °C / 80 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, precipitation 68 mm / 2.7 in, wet days 8 days, average daily low 15.7 °C / 60 °F.
Against: days with heavy rain 2.1 days, relative humidity 69%, average daily high 26.1 °C / 79 °F.
Also on: Autumn colours, Cincy Brew-Ha-Ha, Krohn Conservatory Butterfly Show, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati, Riverfest.
Watch out for: Labor Day, Oktoberfest Zinzinnati.
October · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.5 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 19.4 °C / 67 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 73%, precipitation 78 mm / 3.1 in, wet days 9.1 days, average daily low 9.2 °C / 49 °F, relative humidity 68%.
Against: days with heavy rain 2.7 days.
Also on: BLINK art festival.
Watch out for: Columbus Day, Halloween.
November · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 67%, precipitation 77 mm / 3 in, wet days 8.2 days, relative humidity 68%.
Against: feels like (high) 8.9 °C / 48 °F, days with heavy rain 2.7 days, sunshine per day 6.8 h, average daily high 12.2 °C / 54 °F, average daily low 3 °C / 37 °F.
Also on: Cincinnati Holiday Market, Fountain Square Holiday Tree Lighting, Fountain Square ice skating, PNC Festival of Lights.
Watch out for: Holiday season travel rush, Thanksgiving Day, Veterans Day.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Snowshoe Mountain, 400 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | -0.3 °C | 2 °C | 9.4 °C | 16.4 °C | 23.6 °C | 29.9 °C | 32.4 °C | 31.3 °C | 26.7 °C | 17.5 °C | 8.9 °C | 3.4 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 2.8 days | 2.6 days | 3.9 days | 4.2 days | 4 days | 3.8 days | 3.4 days | 1.6 days | 2.1 days | 2.7 days | 2.7 days | 3.4 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 10 am | 7 am | 3 am | 3 am | 4 pm | 6 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 11 pm | 6 am | 3 am |
| Sunshine per day | 5.7 h | 6.8 h | 8 h | 9.4 h | 10.3 h | 12 h | 12.1 h | 11.7 h | 9.9 h | 8.2 h | 6.8 h | 5.1 h |
| Relative humidity | 71% | 68% | 63% | 61% | 66% | 67% | 70% | 70% | 69% | 68% | 68% | 73% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 9.1 µg/m³ | 10.2 µg/m³ | 8.4 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ | 11.8 µg/m³ | 17.5 µg/m³ | 15.5 µg/m³ | 12.5 µg/m³ | 9.8 µg/m³ | 7.3 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ | 8.9 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 16.1 µg/m³ | 17.4 µg/m³ | 14.9 µg/m³ | 15.3 µg/m³ | 19.4 µg/m³ | 26.2 µg/m³ | 23.4 µg/m³ | 19.2 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ | 12.1 µg/m³ | 14.3 µg/m³ | 16 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- German Winterfest
January
- Cincinnati Home & Garden Show
February
- Bockfest
March
- Cincinnati International Wine Festival
March
- St Patrick's Day Parade
March
- Spring blooms
April
- Cincinnati Reds Opening Day
April
- Findlay Market Parade
April
- Cincinnati May Festival
May
- Cincy-Cinco
May
- Flying Pig Marathon
May
- Taste of Cincinnati
May
- Cincinnati Pride Festival
June
- Cincy Fringe Festival
June
- Bunbury Music Festival
July
- Cincinnati Music Festival
July
- Cincy Beerfest
July
- Ohio River Paddlefest
July and August, dates vary from year to year
- The Western & Southern Open
August
- Autumn colours
September
- Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
September
- Riverfest
1–7 September, dates vary from year to year
- Cincy Brew-Ha-Ha
September
- Krohn Conservatory Butterfly Show
September
- BLINK art festival
October
- PNC Festival of Lights
November and December
- Fountain Square ice skating
November
- Fountain Square Holiday Tree Lighting
November
- Cincinnati Holiday Market
November
- Winter Wonder Lights at Fountain Square
December
- Scuba Santa at Newport Aquarium
December
- RedsFest
December
Worth knowing before you go
- Winter and early-spring shortened hours
January, February, March and December
- New Year's Day
1 January
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January
- Holiday season travel rush
January, November and December
- Presidents' Day
February
- Easter and Good Friday
March and April, dates vary from year to year
- Memorial Day
May
- Juneteenth
19 June
- Independence Day
4 July
- Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
September
- Labor Day
September
- Columbus Day
October
- Halloween
31 October
- Veterans Day
11 November
- Thanksgiving Day
November
- Christmas
24–25 December