Columbus climate

Columbus Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Columbus Metro AP, 7.5 km from Columbus, elevation 392 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Columbus Metro AP. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around March 5 and the first fall freeze around November 23, a growing season of about 265 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 20, first November 12
Median at 32°F
last March 5, first November 23
Median at 28°F
last February 21, first December 12

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FApr 7Apr 1Mar 29Mar 24Mar 20Mar 16Mar 13Mar 7Mar 1
32°FMar 24Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 26Feb 20Feb 11
28°FMar 14Mar 8Mar 2Feb 26Feb 21Feb 15Feb 8Feb 1Jan 25
24°FMar 3Feb 23Feb 12Feb 5Feb 1Jan 29Jan 23Jan 14Dec 31
20°FFeb 15Feb 6Feb 1Jan 29Jan 24Jan 18Jan 12Jan 3Dec 27
16°FFeb 11Feb 4Feb 1Jan 28Jan 22Jan 18Jan 13Jan 9Jan 1

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 18Nov 22Dec 1
32°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 16Nov 19Nov 23Nov 28Dec 3Dec 8Dec 18
28°FNov 19Nov 28Dec 2Dec 6Dec 12Dec 22Dec 28Jan 3Jan 13
24°FDec 5Dec 13Dec 21Dec 26Jan 1Jan 5Jan 11Jan 18Jan 30
20°FDec 17Dec 25Jan 1Jan 4Jan 10Jan 14Jan 19Jan 27Feb 4
16°FJan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 14Jan 18Jan 23Jan 29Feb 3Feb 6

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F262253247241236232228222214
32°F295283276270265259253247238
28°F334320311304298291282274264
24°F365354345338332325316306294
20°F365365365365356348339332321
16°F365365365365365365365363341

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
99% of years
24°F or colder
88% of years
20°F or colder
54% of years
16°F or colder
18% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
1,942
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,534
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,765
Growing degree days, base 45°F
8,035
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,420
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,958
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,657

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January515292
February3617133
March22231294
April7196477
May7289747
June0461910
July05641,029
August05391,004
September1379828
October59138545
November25623242
December4515118

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 7.5 km from Columbus. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USW00093842 (Columbus Metro AP). Public domain.