Climate of Columbus, Ohio

Columbus, Ohio has a humid continental (Köppen climate classification Dfa) climate, characterized by humid, hot summers and cold winters, with no dry season. The Dfa climate has average temperatures above 22 °C (72 °F) during the warmest months, with at least four months averaging above 10 °C (50 °F), and below 0 °C (32 °F) during the coldest. The climate is transitional with the Cfa humid subtropical climate to the south, characterized by humid, hot summers and cool winters (an average temperature above 0 °C (32 °F) but below 18 °C (64.4 °F) during the coldest months).

Columbus is within USDA hardiness zone 6a.[1] Winter snowfall is relatively light, since the city is not in the typical path of strong winter lows, such as the Nor'easters that strike cities farther east. It is also too far south and west for lake-effect snow from Lake Erie to have much effect, although the lakes to the North contribute to long stretches of cloudy spells in winter.

Columbus is subject to severe weather typical to the Midwestern United States. Severe thunderstorms can bring lightning, large hail and on rare occasion tornadoes, especially during the spring and sometimes through fall.

Climate data for Columbus, Ohio (John Glenn Int'l), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1878–present[b]
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) 		94
(34) 		80
(27) 		76
(24) 		106
(41)
Mean maximum °F (°C) 60.7
(15.9) 		64.1
(17.8) 		73.6
(23.1) 		81.6
(27.6) 		88.3
(31.3) 		93.1
(33.9) 		93.7
(34.3) 		92.8
(33.8) 		90.2
(32.3) 		83.2
(28.4) 		70.5
(21.4) 		62.5
(16.9) 		95.0
(35.0)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 37.1
(2.8) 		40.8
(4.9) 		51.1
(10.6) 		64.1
(17.8) 		74.1
(23.4) 		82.2
(27.9) 		85.4
(29.7) 		84.1
(28.9) 		77.8
(25.4) 		65.5
(18.6) 		52.3
(11.3) 		41.5
(5.3) 		63.0
(17.2)
Daily mean °F (°C) 29.6
(−1.3) 		32.5
(0.3) 		41.6
(5.3) 		53.2
(11.8) 		63.3
(17.4) 		71.9
(22.2) 		75.4
(24.1) 		74.0
(23.3) 		67.2
(19.6) 		55.2
(12.9) 		43.6
(6.4) 		34.5
(1.4) 		53.5
(11.9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 22.0
(−5.6) 		24.2
(−4.3) 		32.0
(0.0) 		42.2
(5.7) 		52.4
(11.3) 		61.6
(16.4) 		65.4
(18.6) 		63.9
(17.7) 		56.5
(13.6) 		44.8
(7.1) 		35.0
(1.7) 		27.4
(−2.6) 		43.9
(6.6)
Mean minimum °F (°C) 1.7
(−16.8) 		6.3
(−14.3) 		14.5
(−9.7) 		27.1
(−2.7) 		37.8
(3.2) 		48.6
(9.2) 		55.7
(13.2) 		54.3
(12.4) 		43.2
(6.2) 		31.1
(−0.5) 		20.6
(−6.3) 		11.0
(−11.7) 		−0.9
(−18.3)
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) 3.00
(76) 		2.41
(61) 		3.62
(92) 		3.85
(98) 		3.99
(101) 		4.33
(110) 		4.67
(119) 		3.74
(95) 		3.14
(80) 		2.90
(74) 		2.79
(71) 		3.13
(80) 		41.57
(1,056)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 9.5
(24) 		7.6
(19) 		4.1
(10) 		0.5
(1.3) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.2
(0.51) 		1.2
(3.0) 		5.1
(13) 		28.2
(72)
Average extreme snow depth inches (cm) 4.4
(11) 		3.7
(9.4) 		2.4
(6.1) 		0.1
(0.25) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.0
(0.0) 		0.4
(1.0) 		2.3
(5.8) 		6.6
(17)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 14.7 11.8 12.5 13.7 14.0 11.7 10.9 9.5 8.7 10.0 10.5 12.7 140.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 9.0 6.7 4.0 1.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 1.9 5.6 28.3
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
Average dew point °F (°C) 18.1
(−7.7) 		20.5
(−6.4) 		28.6
(−1.9) 		37.4
(3.0) 		48.9
(9.4) 		58.3
(14.6) 		62.8
(17.1) 		61.7
(16.5) 		55.2
(12.9) 		42.6
(5.9) 		33.6
(0.9) 		24.3
(−4.3) 		41.0
(5.0)
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
Average ultraviolet index 2 3 4 6 8 9 9 8 6 4 2 1 5
Source: NOAA (sun, relative humidity, and dew point 1961–1990)[2][3][4][5] and Weather Atlas[6]


Notes

  1. ^ Mean monthly maxima and minima (i.e. the expected highest and lowest temperature readings at any point during the year or given month) calculated based on data at said location from 1991 to 2020.
  2. ^ Official records for Columbus were kept downtown from July 1878 to December 1947, and at John Glenn Int'l since January 1948. For more information, see Threadex

References

  1. ^ "USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map". United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2012. Archived from the original on February 27, 2014. Retrieved 2019-09-11.
  2. ^ "Station: Columbus Port Columbus INTL AP, OH". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  3. ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved May 9, 2021.
  4. ^ "Records for Columbus". National Weather Service. Retrieved February 27, 2017.
  5. ^ "WMO Climate Normals for COLUMBUS WSO AP, OH 1961–1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  6. ^ "Columbus, Ohio, USA - Monthly weather forecast and Climate data". Weather Atlas. Retrieved June 14, 2019.