Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 4.0Columbia’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
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 Connecticut 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 167 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 28 and the first by October 13. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Willimantic Windham Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, 290 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Columbia’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −3°. 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 39 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Storrs, CT, falls mostly in February. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; October is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 123 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Columbia
91% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October 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 Willimantic Windham Airport.
Living with Columbia’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
167 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 28 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 13.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 21 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Columbia from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (77%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Columbia and its neighbors
Willimantic the hottest July afternoons (83°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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, CT | 18° | 82° | 50" | 39" |
| Tamaqua, PA | 18° | 82° | 52" | 43" |
| Buckhannon, WV | 23° | 83° | 50" | 39" |
| Manchester, MD | 22° | 84° | 47" | 34" |
| Greene, NY | 15° | 82° | 44" | 48" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Columbia averaged 1.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+3.7°).
A bigger shift than in 87% 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 Connecticut’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 Storrs, CT. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 18° | 3.7" | 8.3" | 10 | 19° – 34° |
| February | 39° | 20° | 2.9" | 14.1" | 9 | 16° – 36° |
| March | 46° | 27° | 4.3" | 6.3" | 10 | 31° – 46° |
| April | 58° | 36° | 4.3" | 1.7" | 11 | 43° – 52° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 77° | 55° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 63° – 69° |
| July | 82° | 61° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 67° – 75° |
| August | 81° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 67° – 74° |
| September | 74° | 52° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 60° – 67° |
| October | 62° | 41° | 4.8" | 0.3" | 11 | 48° – 59° |
| November | 51° | 33° | 4.1" | 1.1" | 9 | 37° – 46° |
| December | 41° | 24° | 4.5" | 7.2" | 10 | 26° – 43° |
| Year | 60° | 39° | 49.5" | 39.0" | 123 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 16° to 36°. June is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
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: Storrs, CT.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Willimantic Windham Airport, 7 miles from the town’s center, 290 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 82°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 39 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Columbia in winter?
January nights average 18°. About 135 nights a year reach 32° or below and 4 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does Columbia get?
About 39 inches in a normal winter at Storrs, CT, most of it in February.
How hot does it get in Columbia?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 61°. About 11 days a year reach 90° (Willimantic Windham Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Columbia?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 28 and the first fall frost by October 13, about 167 frost-free days, at Willimantic Windham Airport.
What growing zone is Columbia in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −3°.
What is the best time of year to visit Columbia?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September 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 1.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 87% 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.