Photo: PghPhxNfk · CC BY-SA 4.0Columbus’ winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Columbus at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Columbus’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Columbus’ place in Georgia beside it.
What a year in Columbus feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 265 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 5 and the first by November 23. Frost and day counts come from Columbus Metro Airport, Columbus’s official weather station (the one in National Weather Service reports), 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Columbus’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 50 inches of rain a year
December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 109 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Columbus Metro Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Columbus
43% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Columbus Metro Airport.
Living with Columbus’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
265 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 5 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 23.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 73 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Columbus from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 8%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Columbus and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Columbus in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Columbus’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus, GA | 36° | 92° | 50" | 0.5" |
| Marion, SC | 35° | 92° | 49" | 0.8" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Lumberton, NC | 34° | 91° | 48" | 1.2" |
| Atlanta, TX | 36° | 93° | 51" | 0.9" |
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 Columbus averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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. In a city of 202,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Columbus compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Columbus’ place among Georgia’s.
Columbus weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Columbus’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Columbus Metro Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 58° | 36° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 54° |
| February | 63° | 39° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 60° |
| March | 70° | 45° | 4.8" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| April | 77° | 51° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 84° | 60° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 90° | 70° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 86° | 65° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| October | 77° | 53° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| November | 68° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| December | 60° | 38° | 5.0" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 58° |
| Year | 76° | 53° | 49.9" | 0.5" | 109 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Columbus’ 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 Columbus’ center.
- Snow: Columbus Metro Airport (the official station).
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Columbus Metro Airport, 4 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; the city’s official station.
- 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 Columbus’ climate
What is the weather like in Columbus?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 36°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Columbus in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 28 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Columbus get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Columbus Metro Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Columbus?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 81 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Columbus Metro Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Columbus?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 5 and the first fall frost by November 23, about 265 frost-free days, at Columbus Metro Airport.
What growing zone is Columbus in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Columbus?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Columbus getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Columbus.
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.