Photo: Chris Krylov · CC BY 3.0Columbia’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Columbia at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Columbia’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Columbia’s place in California beside it.
What a year in Columbia feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 213 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 9 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Sonora, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Columbia’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 35 inches of rain a year
January is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain falls on about 64 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Sonora, CA, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Columbia
79% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Sonora, CA.
Living with Columbia’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
213 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Apr 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May and October. 5.5 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Columbia from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Columbia and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Columbia yet.
Climates most like Columbia’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, CA | 35° | 92° | 35" | 0.0" |
| Grants Pass, OR | 34° | 90° | 33" | 0.9" |
| Boerne, TX | 39° | 93° | 33" | 0.1" |
| Camden, SC | 33° | 92° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Marvin, NC | 31° | 91° | 43" | 0.2" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Columbia averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 85% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Columbia compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Columbia’s place among California’s.
Columbia weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Columbia’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sonora, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 55° | 35° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 50° |
| February | 57° | 37° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 42° – 53° |
| March | 61° | 39° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 56° |
| April | 66° | 41° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 48° – 57° |
| May | 75° | 47° | 1.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 53° – 68° |
| June | 84° | 53° | 0.4" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| July | 92° | 59° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 0 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| August | 92° | 59° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| September | 86° | 55° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| October | 75° | 47° | 1.8" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| November | 62° | 39° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 42° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 34° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 50° |
| Year | 72° | 45° | 34.6" | 0.0" | 64 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 53° to 68°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Columbia’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Columbia’s center.
- Snow: Sonora, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Sonora, CA, 5 miles from the town’s center, 470 ft lower; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Columbia’s climate
What is the weather like in Columbia?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 87% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Columbia in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 66 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Columbia get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Sonora, CA, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Columbia?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 59°. About 75 days a year reach 90° and 9 reach 100° (Sonora, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Columbia?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 9 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 213 frost-free days, at Sonora, CA.
What growing zone is Columbia in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Columbia?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Columbia getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 85% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Columbia.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.