Wet weather: 48 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Columbia Township, more than in 77% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 23°. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 66% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.1° rise. Central heating does most of its work from November to March, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Columbia Township at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Columbia Township’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Columbia Township’s place in Indiana beside it.
What a year in Columbia Township feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 194 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 13 and the first by October 25. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Princeton 1 W, IN, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Columbia Township’s center in zone 6b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 0°. 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 12 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Princeton 1 W, IN, falls mostly in January, February and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 48 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 104 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Columbia Township
79% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Princeton 1 W, IN.
Living with Columbia Township’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
194 frost-free days in zone 6b. The last frost comes by Apr 13 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 25.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October. 1.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Columbia Township from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Columbia Township and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Columbia Township in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Columbia Township’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 Township, IN | 23° | 88° | 48" | 12" |
| Collegeville, PA | 23° | 88° | 47" | 13" |
| Aurora, MO | 24° | 89° | 47" | 12" |
| Hockessin, DE | 24° | 86° | 48" | 12" |
| Paris, KY | 24° | 87° | 49" | 15" |
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 Township averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 74% 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 Township compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Columbia Township’s place among Indiana’s.
Columbia Township weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Columbia Township’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Princeton 1 W, IN. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 40° | 23° | 3.5" | 3.6" | 9 | 25° – 42° |
| February | 45° | 26° | 3.0" | 3.4" | 8 | 24° – 45° |
| March | 56° | 35° | 4.2" | 1.2" | 10 | 38° – 59° |
| April | 68° | 44° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 49° – 61° |
| May | 77° | 55° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 60° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 63° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 88° | 67° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 72° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 65° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 71° – 81° |
| September | 81° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 65° – 75° |
| October | 69° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.1" | 7 | 53° – 63° |
| November | 55° | 35° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 8 | 38° – 51° |
| December | 44° | 28° | 3.8" | 3.7" | 9 | 23° – 45° |
| Year | 66° | 45° | 48.3" | 12.2" | 104 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 23° to 45°. June is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
Where Columbia Township’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 Township’s center.
- Snow: Princeton 1 W, IN.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Princeton 1 W, IN, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; 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 Township’s climate
What is the weather like in Columbia Township?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 23°, and about 12 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 58% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 66% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Columbia Township in winter?
January nights average 23°. About 100 nights a year reach 32° or below and 2 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 25°.
How much snow does Columbia Township get?
About 12 inches in a normal winter at Princeton 1 W, IN, most of it in January, February and December.
How hot does it get in Columbia Township?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 67°. About 38 days a year reach 90° (Princeton 1 W, IN).
When is the first and last frost in Columbia Township?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 13 and the first fall frost by October 25, about 194 frost-free days, at Princeton 1 W, IN.
What growing zone is Columbia Township in?
Zone 6b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 0°.
What is the best time of year to visit Columbia Township?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Columbia Township getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Columbia Township.
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.