Waverley · Photo: Jack E. Boucher, Photographer · Public domainWet weather: 56 inches of rain and melted snow a year in Columbus AFB, more than in 94% of U.S. towns
January nights here settle around 33°. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 86% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.4° more than in 1901–2000, led by March. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from March to May and October to November, with highs of 65–83°.
A year in Columbus AFB at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Columbus AFB’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Columbus AFB’s place in Mississippi beside it.
What a year in Columbus AFB feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 244 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 13 and the first by November 12. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Columbus, MS, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Columbus AFB’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 56 inches of rain a year
April is the wettest month and September the driest. Rain falls on about 100 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Columbus, MS, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Columbus AFB
48% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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, MS.
Living with Columbus AFB’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
244 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 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 Nov 12.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Columbus AFB from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (24%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 32%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Columbus AFB and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Columbus AFB yet.
Climates most like Columbus AFB’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbus AFB, MS | 33° | 92° | 56" | 0.4" |
| Monticello, AR | 34° | 92° | 55" | 0.7" |
| Alexander City, AL | 33° | 91° | 56" | 0.7" |
| Grambling, LA | 35° | 93° | 57" | 0.4" |
| Leland, NC | 34° | 90° | 57" | 0.9" |
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 AFB averaged 0.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in March (+1.1°).
A smaller shift than in all but 117 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 AFB compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Columbus AFB’s place among Mississippi’s.
Columbus AFB weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Columbus AFB’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Columbus, MS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 33° | 5.1" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 52° |
| February | 59° | 37° | 5.6" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 56° |
| March | 67° | 43° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 49° – 65° |
| April | 75° | 50° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 68° |
| May | 83° | 60° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 75° |
| June | 89° | 68° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 86° |
| September | 87° | 64° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 71° – 81° |
| October | 77° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 70° |
| November | 65° | 41° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 48° – 58° |
| December | 56° | 36° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 36° – 55° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 55.7" | 0.4" | 100 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Columbus AFB’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 Columbus AFB’s center.
- Snow: Columbus, MS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Columbus, MS, 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 Columbus AFB’s climate
What is the weather like in Columbus AFB?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 86% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Columbus AFB in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 50 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Columbus AFB get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Columbus, MS, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Columbus AFB?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 83 days a year reach 90° and 5 reach 100° (Columbus, MS).
When is the first and last frost in Columbus AFB?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 13 and the first fall frost by November 12, about 244 frost-free days, at Columbus, MS.
What growing zone is Columbus AFB in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Columbus AFB?
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 AFB getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than all but 117 U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Columbus AFB.
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.