 Kent 's climate is classified as a humid continental climate in the Dfa Köppen climate classification meaning it typically has very warm , humid summers and cold , snowy winters with moderate and variable spring and autumn seasons . The record high temperature is 103 ° F ( 39 ° C ) , set on July 7 , 1988 , with the record low of − 22 ° F ( − 30 ° C ) recorded January 17 , 1982 . During the spring and summer months , thunderstorms are fairly common and the area is susceptible to tornadoes , though the last recorded tornado in Kent occurred in 1973 . Effects from tropical systems can also be felt , usually taking the form of increased humidity , rain , and wind , such as with the remnants of Hurricane Ike in September 2008 . During the winter months , snowfall is common and can occur in large quantities with considerable cloud cover . Kent is not considered part of the Lake Erie snowbelt , though lake @-@ effect snow does occur at times . The city is in what is referred to as the " secondary snowbelt " , meaning it will receive heavier snowfall totals from lake @-@ effect snow when certain wind directions are more prevalent , but typically sees far less snowfall than areas to the north closer to Lake Erie . While temperatures below the freezing point are typical in the winter months , thaw periods where temperatures exceed 50 ° F ( 10 ° C ) and even 60 ° F ( 16 ° C ) are not uncommon in January and February . 
