Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Wet weather: 52 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Columbus, more than in 88% of U.S. towns
Midsummer highs settle at about 89°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 72% of U.S. towns. The latest 30-year average runs 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000’s, with February up the most. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about April 6, with the first autumn frost due around October 30.
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 Kentucky 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 204 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 6 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bardwell 2 E, KY, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Columbus’ center in zone 7b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 5°. 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 52 inches of rain a year
April is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Columbus
72% 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 Bardwell 2 E, KY.
Living with Columbus’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
204 frost-free days in zone 7b. The last frost comes by Apr 6 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Columbus from natural hazards, earthquakes are the largest share (53%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Columbus and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Columbus yet.
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 Columbus averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Columbus compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Columbus’ place among Kentucky’s.
Columbus weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Columbus’ center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 27° | 3.9" | 29° – 44° |
| February | 49° | 31° | 4.1" | 29° – 49° |
| March | 59° | 39° | 5.1" | 42° – 61° |
| April | 70° | 47° | 5.2" | 52° – 63° |
| May | 78° | 58° | 5.2" | 63° – 75° |
| June | 86° | 66° | 4.4" | 71° – 81° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.1" | 75° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 67° | 3.1" | 73° – 84° |
| September | 82° | 59° | 3.5" | 67° – 77° |
| October | 71° | 48° | 4.0" | 55° – 65° |
| November | 58° | 38° | 4.3" | 41° – 54° |
| December | 47° | 31° | 4.6" | 27° – 49° |
| Year | 68° | 48° | 51.5" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 27° to 49°. July is the most reliable, staying within 9°.
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.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bardwell 2 E, KY, 10 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 Columbus’ climate
What is the weather like in Columbus?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 27°. Milder January nights than 68% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 72% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Columbus in winter?
January nights average 27°. About 88 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 29°.
How hot does it get in Columbus?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 48 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Bardwell 2 E, KY).
When is the first and last frost in Columbus?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 6 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 204 frost-free days, at Bardwell 2 E, KY.
What growing zone is Columbus in?
Zone 7b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 5°.
What is the best time of year to visit Columbus?
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 Columbus getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% 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.