We’ve all heard job candidates talk about their reluctance to move to Northeast Ohio due to the “dreary” weather. Most of us have probably complained about the weather a time or two ourselves. But, is Cleveland really such a dreary city?
The definition of dreary is “having nothing likely to provide cheer, comfort, or interest,” per Merriam-Webster; but, most people think of dreary as gray and rainy. One meteorologist in Anchorage, AK attempted to define dreary weather and rank major American cities accordingly. Brian Brettschneider calculated the index using three variables…
- Total annual precipitation
- Days per year with measurable precipitation
- Annual cloud coverage
Each variable was ranked on a scale from one to 10. So…the lowest score on the Dreary Index is a three while the highest score on the index is a 30. The higher the number, the drearier the weather. Only a few places scored a 30: northwest Washington state, southeast Alaska, and windward Hawaii. Not Cleveland! Not surprisingly, places in Arizona, Nevada, and California had a “perfect” score of three.
US Dreary Index Map
As of the 2010 US Census, the US had 73 major cities with populations exceeding 250,000. Let’s look at the major cities that could be called dreary. These cities all scored anywhere from 20 to 30 on the index. Some of your job candidates might currently be living in dreary cities and not even realize it! Cleveland’s weather definitely gets a bum rap when you consider the fact that cities such as Boston, New York City, Houston, Nashville, Chicago, Atlanta, and Charlotte are also pretty gray!
Per Sperling’s Best Places, the climate comfort index for Cleveland is 55 out of 100 with the US average being 54. This index is based on the total number of days annually with a comfort range of 70-80 degrees. See! Cleveland’s continental climate with four distinct seasons is pleasant!
For those of us who’ve lived in the region for a while, we know that neither Northeast Ohio’s weather nor culture are dreary! Northeast Ohio has it all…excitement and adventure as well as comfort and relaxation. Weather does not slow us down or define how we enjoy our lives. Northeast Ohio provides plenty of cheer, comfort, and interest to make any resident happy year-round.
Many cities with four distinct seasons naturally developed rich cultural institutions in order to provide residents with year round activities. NE Ohio has a surprising number of world class museums, concert halls, theaters, and performing arts centers for a region of our size. Hey, if it was 75 and sunny out every day of the year, we probably would never have developed all these world class museums, but that is a perk of living in a northern city! Even when it’s 20 degrees and snowing, Clevelanders bundle up and head out to an orchestra, jazz, or rock concert; to let our kids get their energy out, we frequent the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Great Lakes Science Center, the Greater Cleveland Aquarium, or the always 75 degree (and 75% humidity) RainForest at the Cleveland Zoo!
Executive Arrangements helps job candidates and their families see past the so-called “Dreary Index” and see Northeast Ohio for what it truly is…a unique region where all interests and lifestyles can be accommodated even on the gray days!
If you thought this was interesting, check out Brian B’s Climate Blog.
Need Executive Arrangements to help your job candidates overcome common Northeast Ohio misconceptions? Give us a call! 216-231-9311