Climate of Columbus, Ohio facts for kids
Columbus, Ohio has a climate that experiences all four seasons. It's known as a humid continental climate. This means summers are usually hot and humid, while winters are cold. There isn't a specific dry season, so rain and snow can happen throughout the year.
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What is Columbus's Climate Like?
Columbus experiences a type of climate called Dfa in the Köppen climate classification system. This system helps scientists categorize climates around the world. In a Dfa climate, the warmest months have average temperatures above 22 °C (72 °F). At least four months of the year average above 10 °C (50 °F). The coldest months usually have average temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F).
Columbus is located in a spot where its climate is a bit of a mix. To the south, there's a Cfa humid subtropical climate. This climate also has humid, hot summers. However, its winters are typically cooler, with average temperatures staying above 0 °C (32 °F) but below 18 °C (64.4 °F) during the coldest months.
Plant Hardiness in Columbus
For gardeners, Columbus is in USDA hardiness zone 6a. This zone tells you which plants are likely to survive the winter temperatures in a specific area.
How Much Snow Does Columbus Get?
Winter snowfall in Columbus is usually not very heavy. The city isn't directly in the path of big winter storms called Nor'easters. These powerful storms often hit cities farther east along the coast.
Columbus is also too far south and west for lake-effect snow to have a major impact. Lake-effect snow happens when cold air moves over warmer lake waters, picking up moisture and dropping it as snow. While Lake Erie is to the north, its effect on Columbus's snowfall is minimal. However, the Great Lakes can contribute to many cloudy days during the winter months.
Is Severe Weather Common in Columbus?
Like many places in the Midwestern United States, Columbus can experience severe weather. Strong thunderstorms are common, especially during spring and sometimes into the fall. These storms can bring:
- Lightning: Bright flashes of electricity.
- Large hail: Chunks of ice falling from the sky.
- Tornadoes: On rare occasions, powerful spinning columns of air can form.
| Climate data for Columbus, Ohio (Port Columbus Int'l), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1878–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 74 (23) |
78 (26) |
85 (29) |
90 (32) |
96 (36) |
102 (39) |
106 (41) |
103 (39) |
100 (38) |
91 (33) |
80 (27) |
76 (24) |
106 (41) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 58.7 (14.8) |
63.3 (17.4) |
74.8 (23.8) |
82.2 (27.9) |
87.1 (30.6) |
92.2 (33.4) |
93.5 (34.2) |
92.7 (33.7) |
89.3 (31.8) |
82.1 (27.8) |
71.4 (21.9) |
61.3 (16.3) |
94.9 (34.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 36.5 (2.5) |
40.6 (4.8) |
51.1 (10.6) |
63.5 (17.5) |
72.9 (22.7) |
81.6 (27.6) |
84.9 (29.4) |
83.7 (28.7) |
77.0 (25.0) |
65.1 (18.4) |
52.6 (11.4) |
40.1 (4.5) |
62.6 (17.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 22.6 (−5.2) |
25.0 (−3.9) |
32.7 (0.4) |
42.6 (5.9) |
52.2 (11.2) |
61.5 (16.4) |
65.5 (18.6) |
64.1 (17.8) |
56.5 (13.6) |
45.0 (7.2) |
36.1 (2.3) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
44.3 (6.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 0.8 (−17.3) |
5.5 (−14.7) |
13.8 (−10.1) |
26.0 (−3.3) |
36.9 (2.7) |
47.2 (8.4) |
53.0 (11.7) |
52.3 (11.3) |
40.6 (4.8) |
29.9 (−1.2) |
20.4 (−6.4) |
7.4 (−13.7) |
−3.4 (−19.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −22 (−30) |
−20 (−29) |
−6 (−21) |
14 (−10) |
25 (−4) |
35 (2) |
43 (6) |
39 (4) |
31 (−1) |
17 (−8) |
−5 (−21) |
−17 (−27) |
−22 (−30) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.73 (69) |
2.25 (57) |
3.02 (77) |
3.40 (86) |
4.17 (106) |
4.01 (102) |
4.79 (122) |
3.32 (84) |
2.84 (72) |
2.61 (66) |
3.20 (81) |
2.97 (75) |
39.31 (998) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 9.2 (23) |
6.1 (15) |
4.2 (11) |
1.1 (2.8) |
trace | 0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
0.9 (2.3) |
5.0 (13) |
26.7 (68) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 14.0 | 11.4 | 12.8 | 13.7 | 13.9 | 11.2 | 10.6 | 9.2 | 8.4 | 9.4 | 11.4 | 13.2 | 139.2 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 9.1 | 6.6 | 4.5 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 6.5 | 29.8 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 71.4 | 69.5 | 64.5 | 62.5 | 66.5 | 68.5 | 70.6 | 72.8 | 72.8 | 69.3 | 71.8 | 74.1 | 69.5 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 110.6 | 126.3 | 162.0 | 201.8 | 243.4 | 258.1 | 260.9 | 235.9 | 212.0 | 183.1 | 104.2 | 84.3 | 2,182.6 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 37 | 42 | 44 | 51 | 55 | 57 | 57 | 56 | 57 | 53 | 35 | 29 | 49 |
| Source: NOAA (sun 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
