Climate - Columbus (Ohio)

The climate of Columbus is continental, with very cold winters and warm to hot summers, during which there are quite frequent thunderstorms.
Columbus, named after the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, is the capital of the state of Ohio and the second most populous city in the Midwest after Chicago. It is located 240 meters (785 feet) above sea level and about 160 km (100 mi) south of Lake Erie.
The average temperature of the coldest month (January) is of -1.4 °C (30 °F), that of the warmest month (July) is of 24 °C (75 °F). Here are the average temperatures.

Precipitation amounts to 1,000 millimeters (39.4 inches) per year: so, it is at an intermediate level. It ranges from 55 mm (2.2 in) in the driest month (February) to 120 mm (4.7 in) in the wettest (July). Here is the average precipitation.

Winter, from late November to early March, is very cold. Snowfalls are frequent, and at times can be abundant. On average, 68 centimeters (26.5 inches) of snow fall per year. The heaviest snowfall in one day occurred in March 2008, when 39.5 cm (15.5 in) of snow fell. However, snow is not as abundant as on the east coast of the United States or in the Great Lakes region.
Cold waves are intense, in fact, the temperature drops below 0 degrees Fahrenheit (-18 °C) almost every year. The record cold, -30 °C (-22 °F), occurred in January 1994.

Summer, from June to August, is hot and quite sunny, although thunderstorms can break out, sometimes accompanied by hail and gusts of wind.
The summer in Columbus is not as hot and humid as on the east coast or in the south of the United States, also due to the altitude, which slightly lowers the temperature compared to sea level.
However, there can sometimes be very hot periods. Typically, the temperature reaches 34/35 °C (93/95 °F) on the hottest days of the year, although the record is 38.5 °C (101.5 °F), recorded in August 1983, in July 1988 and in July 2012.

Spring and autumn, from mid-March to May and from September to mid-November, are contrasted seasons, with fairly frequent rains and sudden changes in temperature. However, there are also stable and pleasant periods.
Ohio is part of the area where tornadoes can form, which are most likely in spring, but can occasionally occur in autumn as well.



On average, there are around 2,185 sunshine hours per year. Here are the average sunshine hours per day.

Best Time

The best times to visit Columbus are spring and autumn, especially the months of May and September.
However, in summer it is generally not too hot, so after all you can also go in this season, especially if you don't fear the heat.
From mid-October to early November, you can admire the beautiful colors of the trees losing their leaves (the phenomenon called fall foliage).