Columbus has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers
A typical July afternoon reaches 82°, a January night drops to 10°, and about 43 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Columbus at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Columbus’s climate
Read from where Columbus sits among Wisconsin’s towns. The page puts what stands out first.
About 163 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 30 and the first by October 9.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
Living with Columbus’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a driveway, a furnace and a free afternoon.
163 frost-free days. The last frost comes by Apr 30 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.
About 43" a winter over 17 days with an inch or more, most in February. Snow covers the ground about 80 days a year.
Months averaging under 55° run from October through April. Heating is 92% of the year’s heating-and-cooling load.
About 9 days a year reach 90°, and July afternoons average 82°.
The nicest months are May, June, July, August and September. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Normals are averages. Ice storms, nor’easters, floods and heat waves are on the natural hazards page.
Natural hazards →What a year in Columbus feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
43 inches of snow, 36 of rain and melt
June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 105 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Columbus and its neighbors
Fountain Prairie has the coldest January nights next door (10°) and York the hottest July afternoons (82°). 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 Columbus averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.8°).
A bigger shift than in 53% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
How Columbus compares
Against every U.S. town on TownTapestry, each counted once, with its place in Wisconsin.
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 | 27° | 10° | 1.3" | 10.7" | 7 | 25 | 7° – 31° |
| February | 31° | 14° | 1.3" | 11.2" | 7 | 23 | 10° – 33° |
| March | 43° | 24° | 2.1" | 5.3" | 7 | 11 | 25° – 49° |
| April | 57° | 35° | 3.7" | 1.9" | 10 | 1 | 36° – 51° |
| May | 69° | 46° | 4.1" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 51° – 64° |
| June | 78° | 56° | 5.1" | 0 | 11 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| July | 82° | 60° | 4.0" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 65° – 78° |
| August | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 64° – 75° |
| September | 73° | 50° | 3.3" | 0 | 9 | 0 | 55° – 67° |
| October | 60° | 39° | 2.9" | 0.3" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| November | 45° | 28° | 2.1" | 2.4" | 8 | 4 | 27° – 46° |
| December | 32° | 17° | 1.6" | 10.7" | 8 | 16 | 11° – 35° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 35.7" | 42.6" | 105 | 80 |
Heating and cooling a home in Columbus
92% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 11° to 35°. 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 27° and a low of 10°.
What is the hottest month in Columbus?
July, with a typical high of 82° and a low of 60°. About 9 days a year reach 90°.
How much snow does Columbus get?
About 43 inches in a normal winter, most of it in February.
When is the first frost in Columbus?
In half of years the first 32° night comes by October 9, and the last spring frost by April 30.
What is the rainiest month in Columbus?
June, with 5.1 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 36 inches.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Columbus.
Your answer becomes a post in Town Square.
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 Arlington, WI (14 mi, snow) and Waterloo WWTP, WI (11 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. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.