Photo: Tedder · CC BY 3.0Afternoon heat in Columbia City trails that of 92% of U.S. towns
In January the night’s low is typically 34°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 79% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.4° higher. Tender plants can go out after about April 18; in half of years the first frost comes by November 7.
A year in Columbia City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Columbia City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Columbia City’s place in Oregon beside it.
What a year in Columbia City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 201 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 18 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Saint Helens Rfd, OR, 4 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Columbia City’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Battle Ground, WA, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 44 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 179 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Columbia City
94% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Saint Helens Rfd, OR.
Living with Columbia City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
201 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Apr 18 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August, September and October. 0.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Columbia City from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Columbia City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Columbia City yet.
Climates most like Columbia City’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 City, OR | 34° | 80° | 44" | 1.4" |
| Ben Lomond, CA | 40° | 79° | 43" | 0.0" |
| Marysville, WA | 36° | 75° | 44" | 3.0" |
| Swannanoa, NC | 27° | 83° | 48" | 2.1" |
| Brigantine, NJ | 28° | 83° | 45" | 10" |
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 Columbia City averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+3.1°).
A smaller shift than in 50% 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 City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Columbia City’s place among Oregon’s.
Columbia City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Columbia City’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Battle Ground, WA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 46° | 34° | 6.3" | 0.5" | 21 | 0 | 33° – 44° |
| February | 51° | 34° | 4.6" | 0.3" | 18 | 0 | 38° – 48° |
| March | 56° | 37° | 4.6" | 0.2" | 21 | 0 | 43° – 51° |
| April | 61° | 40° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 18 | 0 | 46° – 55° |
| May | 68° | 46° | 2.5" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 52° – 62° |
| June | 73° | 50° | 1.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| July | 80° | 54° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| August | 81° | 54° | 0.6" | 0.0" | 4 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 75° | 50° | 1.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 59° – 65° |
| October | 63° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 16 | 0 | 49° – 58° |
| November | 52° | 38° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 21 | 0 | 39° – 50° |
| December | 45° | 34° | 7.3" | 0.4" | 22 | 0 | 34° – 43° |
| Year | 62° | 43° | 43.5" | 1.4" | 179 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. January swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 33° to 44°. September is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Columbia City’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 City’s center.
- Snow: Battle Ground, WA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Saint Helens Rfd, OR, 4 miles from the town’s center, 200 ft higher; 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 City’s climate
What is the weather like in Columbia City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Columbia City in winter?
December nights average 34°. About 59 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Columbia City get?
About 1.4 inches in a normal winter at Battle Ground, WA, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Columbia City?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 54°. About 20 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Saint Helens Rfd, OR).
When is the first and last frost in Columbia City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 18 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 201 frost-free days, at Saint Helens Rfd, OR.
What growing zone is Columbia City in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Columbia City?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Columbia City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 50% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Columbia City.
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.