Columbus, IL climate
Columbus has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 86°, a January night drops to 18°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decadeWhat a year in Columbus feels like
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Columbus weather by month
Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 18° | 1.8" | 6.1" | 9 | 12 | 20° – 38° |
| February | 40° | 22° | 1.8" | 6.0" | 8 | 8 | 19° – 42° |
| March | 52° | 32° | 2.5" | 2.4" | 10 | 3 | 34° – 55° |
| April | 64° | 42° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 12 | 0 | 45° – 59° |
| May | 74° | 53° | 4.9" | 0 | 13 | 0 | 58° – 73° |
| June | 83° | 62° | 4.8" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| July | 86° | 66° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 71° – 83° |
| August | 85° | 63° | 3.9" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| September | 78° | 55° | 3.5" | 0 | 8 | 0 | 61° – 73° |
| October | 66° | 44° | 3.1" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 49° – 61° |
| November | 51° | 33° | 2.6" | 0.9" | 8 | 1 | 35° – 51° |
| December | 39° | 23° | 2.0" | 5.1" | 9 | 8 | 16° – 41° |
| Year | 63° | 43° | 38.9" | 20.9" | 113 | 31 |
“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.
Rain and snow in Columbus
Columbus gets 39 inches of rain and melted snow a year. May is the wettest month and January the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 113 days a year. Snow covers the ground about 31 days of the year.
About 191 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 14 and the first one by October 23. That leaves about 191 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 65% of U.S. towns.
Heating and cooling a home in Columbus
Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Columbus, 83% of that work is heating and 17% is cooling, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
Columbus and its neighbors
Columbus borders 5 towns with climate data. January nights across them vary by 0.6°. Camp Point has the coldest January nights (18°) and Gilmer the hottest July afternoons (86°). Columbus’s January low is 18° and its July high 86°.
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value.
How Columbus compares
Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Columbus averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°). The shift is smaller than in 93% of U.S. towns.
Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Columbus’s spot on NOAA’s grid
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 16° to 41°. June is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Common questions about Columbus’s climate
What is the coldest month in Columbus?
January, with a typical high of 35° and a low of 18°.
What is the hottest month in Columbus?
July, with a typical high of 86° and a low of 66°. About 24 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Columbus get?
About 21 inches in a normal winter, most of it in January.
When is the first frost in Columbus?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 23, and the last spring frost by April 14.
What is the rainiest month in Columbus?
May, with 4.9 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 39 inches.
Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Columbus itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Perry 6 Nw, IL (19 mi, snow) and Quincy Rgnl Airport, IL (6 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.