Columbus, Ohio climate: Normal weather by month, frost dates and records
Columbus's normal year runs from 22°F January nights to 85°F July afternoons, with 41.6 inches of precipitation and 28 inches of snow a year. (NOAA 1991-2020 normals)
In metric: a yearly mean of 11.9°C, January lows of −6°C, July highs of 30°C, 1,056 mm of precipitation a year.
- NOAA stationColumbus Port Columbus International Airport
- Station IDUSW00014821
- Location39.99°N 82.88°W
- Elevation810 ft (247 m)
- From the center6 miles
- Population933,263
On October 23, the normal high in Columbus is 63°F and the normal low 42°F, and the chance of measurable rain or snow is 32%.
Normals describe a typical year at the station, not a forecast. The National Weather Service forecast for Columbus.
- Jan 37° 22°
- Feb 41° 24°
- Mar 51° 32°
- Apr 64° 42°
- May 74° 52°
- Jun 82° 62°
- Jul 85° 65°
- Aug 84° 64°
- Sep 78° 57°
- Oct 66° 45°
- Nov 52° 35°
- Dec 42° 27°
Each month: normal high (large) and low, °F. Fill: the month's normal mean, colder blue to hotter red.
What is the weather like in Columbus each month?
July is the warmest month, with normal highs of 85°F; January the coldest, with normal lows of 22°F. The most precipitation falls in July (4.67 in), the least in February (2.41 in).
Each month has its own page with the day-by-day normals, the month's records and its recent years:
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow | Wet days | 90°F days | Freezing nights | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 37°F | 22°F | 29.6°F | 3.00 | 9.5 | 15 | <1 | 25 | 9 h 40 min |
| February | 41°F | 24°F | 32.5°F | 2.41 | 7.6 | 12 | <1 | 22 | 10 h 40 min |
| March | 51°F | 32°F | 41.6°F | 3.62 | 4.1 | 13 | <1 | 17 | 11 h 50 min |
| April | 64°F | 42°F | 53.2°F | 3.85 | 0.5 | 14 | <1 | 4 | 13 h 10 min |
| May | 74°F | 52°F | 63.3°F | 3.99 | 0.0 | 14 | 1 | <1 | 14 h 20 min |
| June | 82°F | 62°F | 71.9°F | 4.33 | 0.0 | 12 | 5 | <1 | 15 h |
| July | 85°F | 65°F | 75.4°F | 4.67 | 0.0 | 11 | 8 | <1 | 14 h 50 min |
| August | 84°F | 64°F | 74.0°F | 3.74 | 0.0 | 10 | 6 | <1 | 13 h 50 min |
| September | 78°F | 57°F | 67.2°F | 3.14 | 0.0 | 9 | 2 | <1 | 12 h 30 min |
| October | 66°F | 45°F | 55.2°F | 2.90 | 0.2 | 10 | <1 | 2 | 11 h 10 min |
| November | 52°F | 35°F | 43.6°F | 2.79 | 1.2 | 11 | <1 | 12 | 10 h |
| December | 42°F | 27°F | 34.5°F | 3.13 | 5.1 | 13 | <1 | 22 | 9 h 20 min |
| Year (annual) | 63°F | 44°F | 53.5°F | 41.57 | 28.2 | 141 | 21 | 103 |
The same normals in °C and millimetres
| Month | High | Low | Mean | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 3°C | −6°C | −1.3°C | 76 mm | 24 cm |
| February | 5°C | −4°C | 0.3°C | 61 mm | 19 cm |
| March | 11°C | 0°C | 5.3°C | 92 mm | 10 cm |
| April | 18°C | 6°C | 11.8°C | 98 mm | 1 cm |
| May | 23°C | 11°C | 17.4°C | 101 mm | 0 cm |
| June | 28°C | 16°C | 22.2°C | 110 mm | 0 cm |
| July | 30°C | 19°C | 24.1°C | 119 mm | 0 cm |
| August | 29°C | 18°C | 23.3°C | 95 mm | 0 cm |
| September | 25°C | 14°C | 19.6°C | 80 mm | 0 cm |
| October | 19°C | 7°C | 12.9°C | 74 mm | 1 cm |
| November | 11°C | 2°C | 6.4°C | 71 mm | 3 cm |
| December | 5°C | −3°C | 1.4°C | 80 mm | 13 cm |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014821; annual normals. Wet days: 0.01 inch or more; 90°F days and freezing nights: NOAA's day counts. Daylight: sunrise to sunset on the 15th, computed from the latitude.
When is the best weather to visit Columbus?
Normal highs sit between 65°F and 85°F in May, June, August, September and October. Of those, September has the fewest days with rain (9).
That is a measurement, not a recommendation: it counts the months whose normal afternoon high sits between 65°F and 85°F, where a light layer is enough by day.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014821.
When is the last frost in Columbus?
In Columbus, the last spring frost (32°F) comes after April 18 in half of years and after May 5 in one year in ten; the first autumn frost comes before October 27 in half of years and before October 14 in one year in ten.
Frost-free in half of yearsFrost in 1 to 9 years out of 10Frost most years
- Last spring frost, half of years after
- April 181 year in 10 after May 5; 9 in 10 after April 4
- First autumn frost, half of years before
- October 271 year in 10 before October 14; 9 in 10 before November 7
NOAA puts the median frost-free season at 191 days, and the season without a hard freeze (28°F) at 213 days.
A hard freeze (28°F) comes after April 5 in half of springs and before November 6 in half of autumns.
The USDA's 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Columbus in zones 6a to 6b across its 41 ZIP code areas (6b in 43207, the largest). By the map's own method, the average of each year's coldest night over 1991-2020, Columbus's NOAA station is in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical year reaches −1°F (30 complete years).
Frost dates for every NOAA station in Ohio · Frost dates by ZIP code
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals (frost probabilities), station USW00014821; USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; the station zone: ACIS daily lows, 1991-2020. A 10% date means one year in ten has a frost after it in spring or before it in autumn.
What hardiness zone is each Columbus ZIP code in?
The USDA's 2023 map gives each ZIP code area one zone. Columbus's 41 ZIP code areas run from zone 6a to 6b: 1 in 6a and 40 in 6b. Each ZIP's frost dates are in the frost tool.
| ZIP code | Zone | Land in Columbus |
|---|---|---|
| 43002 | 6b | 0.9 km² |
| 43004 | 6b | 5.9 km² |
| 43016 | 6b | 9.6 km² |
| 43017 | 6b | 4.6 km² |
| 43026 | 6b | 12.3 km² |
| 43054 | 6a | 7.4 km² |
| 43068 | 6b | 6.5 km² |
| 43081 | 6b | 16.0 km² |
| 43085 | 6b | 5.1 km² |
| 43110 | 6b | 20.8 km² |
| 43119 | 6b | 10.6 km² |
| 43137 | 6b | 22.0 km² |
| 43201 | 6b | 7.9 km² |
| 43202 | 6b | 6.5 km² |
| 43203 | 6b | 3.7 km² |
| 43204 | 6b | 20.7 km² |
| 43205 | 6b | 6.2 km² |
| 43206 | 6b | 7.8 km² |
| 43207 | 6b | 44.2 km² |
| 43209 | 6b | 9.6 km² |
| 43210 | 6b | 3.9 km² |
| 43211 | 6b | 11.4 km² |
| 43212 | 6b | 4.0 km² |
| 43213 | 6b | 13.6 km² |
| 43214 | 6b | 17.0 km² |
| 43215 | 6b | 12.9 km² |
| 43217 | 6b | 2.1 km² |
| 43219 | 6b | 38.1 km² |
| 43220 | 6b | 6.4 km² |
| 43221 | 6b | 8.2 km² |
| 43222 | 6b | 3.7 km² |
| 43223 | 6b | 16.7 km² |
| 43224 | 6b | 17.5 km² |
| 43227 | 6b | 10.0 km² |
| 43228 | 6b | 39.6 km² |
| 43229 | 6b | 22.0 km² |
| 43230 | 6b | 15.8 km² |
| 43231 | 6b | 8.2 km² |
| 43232 | 6b | 25.2 km² |
| 43235 | 6b | 28.9 km² |
| 43240 | 6b | 6.3 km² |
Source: USDA 2023 Plant Hardiness Zone Map, ZIP listings: PRISM Group, Oregon State University, https://prism.oregonstate.edu, accessed October 8, 2026; ZIP areas in the place: Census Bureau 2020 ZCTA-to-place relationship file. A ZIP area counts when at least a tenth of its land (and 0.5 km²) lies in the place.
How hot and how cold does it get in Columbus?
In a normal year in Columbus, 21 days a year reach 90°F, 103 nights fall to 32°F or colder and 141 days bring measurable precipitation.
- Days at 90°F or more
- 21a normal year
- Days at 100°F or more
- fewer than 1a normal year
- Nights at 32°F or colder
- 103a normal year
- Days that stay below freezing
- 28high of 32°F or less
- Days with 0.01 inch of precipitation
- 141a normal year
- Days with 1 inch of snow or more
- 9a normal year
The highest temperature in Columbus's official record (kept by the National Weather Service since 1878) is 106°F, on July 21, 1934; the lowest is −22°F, on January 19, 1994.
The wettest calendar year on that record is 2018, with 55.18 in; the snowiest season is 2013–14, with 56.4 inches.
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 annual normals, station USW00014821; records: ACIS (NOAA Regional Climate Centers), NWS threaded record CMHthr. Records use complete months only; a month missing more than three days is left out.
How humid and windy is Columbus, and how clear are its skies?
The summer (June-August) dew point averages 62°F. The muggiest month is July, with an average dew point of 63°F; the driest air comes in January (21°F). February is the windiest month (9.2 mph on average), and September has the most clear or nearly clear hours (44%).
| Month | Dew point | Humidity | Afternoon humidity | Wind | Clear or few clouds | Overcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 21°F | 71% | 61% | 8.8 mph | 26% | 54% |
| February | 26°F | 67% | 55% | 9.2 mph | 24% | 54% |
| March | 34°F | 60% | 46% | 9.2 mph | 28% | 45% |
| April | 44°F | 61% | 47% | 8.3 mph | 29% | 38% |
| May | 56°F | 65% | 49% | 7.1 mph | 29% | 33% |
| June | 62°F | 66% | 49% | 6.5 mph | 37% | 22% |
| July | 63°F | 68% | 50% | 5.8 mph | 34% | 21% |
| August | 61°F | 69% | 50% | 5.7 mph | 43% | 20% |
| September | 51°F | 69% | 48% | 6.6 mph | 44% | 26% |
| October | 39°F | 68% | 52% | 7.6 mph | 35% | 41% |
| November | 31°F | 72% | 60% | 8.7 mph | 24% | 55% |
| December | 25°F | 74% | 65% | 8.8 mph | 19% | 60% |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 hourly normals, station USW00014821. Monthly averages of all hours; afternoon humidity at 3 p.m. local standard time; sky as the share of hours NOAA's observations rate clear or few clouds (a dash where NOAA publishes no sky value).
How sunny is Columbus?
Over a year 71% of the sunlight that would reach the ground under clear skies gets through the clouds in the area around Columbus, 3.9 kWh per square metre a day. August is the sunniest month (80%) and December the cloudiest (56%). Among the 459 U.S. places of 50,000 or more, that ranks tied 416th (with 11 others) in sunshine.
| Month | Share of clear-sky sunshine | Sunshine, kWh/m² a day |
|---|---|---|
| January | 57% | 1.7 |
| February | 60% | 2.5 |
| March | 64% | 3.6 |
| April | 70% | 4.8 |
| May | 72% | 5.5 |
| June | 77% | 6.1 |
| July | 78% | 5.9 |
| August | 80% | 5.5 |
| September | 79% | 4.5 |
| October | 71% | 3.1 |
| November | 69% | 2.2 |
| December | 56% | 1.5 |
Source: NASA POWER solar climatology, 2001-2020 (CERES SYN1deg). Satellite-based, for the 1-degree cell (about 100 km across) around the station, so it describes the area rather than the airport.
How much heating and cooling does Columbus need?
A normal year in Columbus brings 5,233 heating degree days, 3% fewer than the median U.S. place (5,373), and 1,068 cooling degree days, 18% more than the median (908). Seven months need 300 or more heating degree days, a monthly mean of about 55°F or colder. For gardens and crops, NOAA counts 3,607 growing degree days a year above 50°F.
| Month | Heating | Cooling |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,099 | 0 |
| February | 910 | 0 |
| March | 729 | 2 |
| April | 367 | 12 |
| May | 138 | 84 |
| June | 16 | 223 |
| July | 1 | 323 |
| August | 3 | 282 |
| September | 61 | 125 |
| October | 323 | 18 |
| November | 641 | 0 |
| December | 947 | 0 |
| Year (annual) | 5,233 | 1,068 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00014821. A degree day is one degree of a day's mean temperature below 65°F (heating) or above it (cooling); utilities use them to estimate energy use.
Has Columbus been warmer than normal lately?
2025 averaged 54.0°F, 0.5°F above the 1991-2020 normal of 53.5°F. 5 of the 5 complete years since 2021 ran warmer than the normal.
| Year | Mean | Against normal | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 55.1°F | +1.6°F | 40.41 | 18.5 |
| 2022 | 53.7°F | +0.2°F | 44.78 | 19.5 |
| 2023 | 55.7°F | +2.2°F | 41.45 | 6.8 |
| 2024 | 57.2°F | +3.7°F | 34.73 | 12.9 |
| 2025 | 54.0°F | +0.5°F | 39.46 | 28.1 |
Over 72 complete years from 1949 to 2025, the station's annual mean temperature rose at a fitted 2.8°F per century (+0.15°C per decade). A fitted rate summarizes the whole record; single years swing well above and below it.
Source: observed years: ACIS, station USW00014821; trend: NOAA GHCN-Monthly v4. A year counts only with all twelve months complete.
How does Columbus's climate compare?
Columbus is warmer than 80 of the other 98 places with their own NOAA record in Ohio, and wetter than 49. Across the 7,247 U.S. stations with normals, its annual mean of 53.5°F is warmer than 55%.
In the Köppen classification computed from these normals, Columbus is Dfa: continental, no dry season, hot summer. What the classes mean.
Places with the most similar year elsewhere
Measured month by month on the normal high, low and precipitation, among places of 20,000 or more people in other states:
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for every station PlainClimate covers. Similarity: the root-mean-square difference of the 36 monthly figures, precipitation weighted so an inch counts like 6°F.
Which places near Columbus share this climate record?
15 places have no NOAA station with 1991-2020 normals of their own, and this station is the nearest full record. A place's own climate can differ from these figures, by several degrees where it sits much higher or lower than the station, nearer the coast, or inside a large city's heat; for the larger places the next nearest records are named with their yearly mean, so the spread around them is visible, and places of 50,000 or more have their own page with NOAA's gridded normals.
- Reynoldsburg, OH42,897 people · 5 mi SE
- Gahanna, OH35,544 people · 3 mi N
- Pickerington, OH25,814 people · 9 mi SE
- Whitehall, OH19,940 people · 2 mi S
- Pataskala, OH18,493 people · 9 mi E
- Bexley, OH12,793 people · 3 mi SW
- New Albany, OH11,604 people · 9 mi NE
- Canal Winchester, OH10,060 people · 11 mi S
- Blacklick Estates, OH8,867 people · 6 mi S
- Obetz, OH7,306 people · 9 mi S
- Groveport, OH5,867 people · 9 mi S
- Etna, OH1,341 people · 11 mi E
- Jersey, OH356 people · 10 mi NE
- Lockbourne, OH232 people · 14 mi SW
- Brice, OH101 people · 6 mi SE
Source: Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer (place centers) and Vintage 2024 population estimates. Distance and direction from the station to each place's center.
What do Columbus's other NOAA stations record?
3 more NOAA stations keep 1991-2020 normals in or near Columbus. This page uses Columbus Port Columbus International Airport; the others differ by site and elevation, and the linked ones have pages of their own:
| Station | From the center | Elevation | Year | Jan low | Jul high | Precip. | Snow | Last frost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus Ohio State University Airport USW00004804 | 8 mi NW | 905 ft | 52.4°F | 21°F | 84°F | 35.8 | – | April 22 |
| Columbus WCMH USC00331785 | 4 mi NW | 740 ft | 52.8°F | 21°F | 85°F | 44.7 | – | April 20 |
| Columbus-Valley Crossing USC00331783 | 6 mi SE | 760 ft | 53.0°F | 19°F | 86°F | 43.2 | – | April 23 |
Source: NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 normals for each station. Last frost: the median last spring date of 32°F.
Questions about Columbus's climate
What is the coldest month in Columbus?
January, with a normal high of 37°F and a normal low of 22°F. The warmest is July (85°F by day, 65°F at night).
Does it snow in Columbus?
Yes: 28 inches in a normal year, falling on 28 days with 0.1 inch or more, the most in January (9.5 inches).
What is the rainiest month in Columbus?
July, with 4.67 in of precipitation in a normal year; the driest is February with 2.41 in.
What plant hardiness zone is Columbus in?
The USDA's 2023 map puts Columbus in zones 6a to 6b across its 41 ZIP code areas (6b in 43207, the largest). By the same method at Columbus's NOAA station, the coldest night of a typical year reaches −1°F (30 years, 1991-2020): zone 6b.
How late can frost come in Columbus?
In half of years the last 32°F night comes after April 18; in one year in ten it comes after May 5. Waiting until May 5 leaves about a one-in-ten chance of a later frost.
Nearby and next
- Columbus in OctoberThis month day by day, its records and recent years
- Ohio climateThe statewide normals and every place in the state
- Columbus WCMH, OH8 miles from this station, 52.8°F a year
- Westerville, OH10 miles from this station, 53.9°F a year
- Columbus Ohio State University Airport, OH12 miles from this station, 52.4°F a year
- Lancaster, OH20 miles from this station, 52.2°F a year
- Compare two placesMonth by month, side by side
Download these normals (CSV) · JSON · How these figures are made