Columbia has some of the coolest summers among U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 13°. Winter nights are cold: in January they are colder than in 90% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.9° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around May 3; autumn frost returns near October 9.
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 Maine 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 158 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 3 and the first by October 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Jonesboro, ME, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Columbia’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −12°. 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 51 inches of rain a year
October is the wettest month and August the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Columbia
98% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through May.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Jonesboro, ME.
Living with Columbia’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
158 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 3 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 17 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Columbia from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Columbia and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Columbia in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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 (+3.8°).
A bigger shift than in 84% 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 Maine’s.
Columbia weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Columbia’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 13° | 4.2" | 11° – 29° |
| February | 32° | 14° | 3.6" | 12° – 29° |
| March | 40° | 22° | 4.3" | 25° – 38° |
| April | 52° | 32° | 4.3" | 38° – 47° |
| May | 63° | 42° | 3.9" | 48° – 57° |
| June | 72° | 51° | 4.1" | 57° – 65° |
| July | 78° | 57° | 3.5" | 63° – 70° |
| August | 77° | 56° | 3.2" | 64° – 70° |
| September | 69° | 49° | 3.9" | 55° – 64° |
| October | 57° | 40° | 5.5" | 44° – 54° |
| November | 46° | 30° | 5.1" | 32° – 43° |
| December | 36° | 20° | 5.3" | 23° – 36° |
| Year | 54° | 35° | 51.0" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 29°. August 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.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Jonesboro, ME, 8 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’s climate
What is the weather like in Columbia?
A typical July afternoon reaches 78°, a January night drops to 13°. Colder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 96% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Columbia in winter?
January nights average 13°. About 162 nights a year reach 32° or below and 20 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 11°.
How hot does it get in Columbia?
July, with a typical high of 78° and a low of 57°. About 2 days a year reach 90° (Jonesboro, ME).
When is the first and last frost in Columbia?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 3 and the first fall frost by October 9, about 158 frost-free days, at Jonesboro, ME.
What growing zone is Columbia in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −12°.
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 and September. 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 84% 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.