Columbus climate

Columbus Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Columbus, 3.9 km from Columbus, elevation 609 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Columbus. 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 April 11 and the first fall freeze around October 25, a growing season of about 195 days.

Median at 36°F
last April 24, first October 15
Median at 32°F
last April 11, first October 25
Median at 28°F
last April 1, first November 5

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°FMay 10May 5Apr 30Apr 28Apr 24Apr 21Apr 18Apr 14Apr 10
32°FApr 30Apr 23Apr 18Apr 15Apr 11Apr 8Apr 6Apr 3Mar 31
28°FApr 14Apr 9Apr 5Apr 3Apr 1Mar 30Mar 26Mar 21Mar 16
24°FApr 4Mar 31Mar 27Mar 24Mar 21Mar 18Mar 15Mar 10Mar 4
20°FMar 27Mar 21Mar 17Mar 14Mar 11Mar 6Mar 3Feb 27Feb 20
16°FMar 17Mar 12Mar 7Mar 4Feb 28Feb 26Feb 20Feb 14Feb 7

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 4Oct 8Oct 11Oct 13Oct 15Oct 17Oct 20Oct 23Oct 27
32°FOct 12Oct 17Oct 21Oct 23Oct 25Oct 28Oct 30Nov 1Nov 7
28°FOct 24Oct 29Nov 1Nov 2Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12Nov 16Nov 22
24°FNov 2Nov 7Nov 11Nov 14Nov 17Nov 21Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5
20°FNov 11Nov 16Nov 21Nov 26Nov 29Dec 1Dec 5Dec 11Dec 19
16°FNov 20Nov 28Dec 1Dec 5Dec 9Dec 14Dec 19Dec 25Dec 31

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°F190184180176172168164160152
32°F213208203199195190186181173
28°F240232227222218214210205198
24°F265257251246241237232227220
20°F289280274267263257253246238
16°F311303296290286280274268259

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
100% of years
24°F or colder
100% of years
20°F or colder
100% of years
16°F or colder
100% 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
5,082
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
1,127
Growing degree days, base 40°F
6,144
Growing degree days, base 45°F
4,863
Growing degree days, base 50°F
3,724
Growing degree days, base 55°F
2,721
Growing degree days, base 60°F
1,854

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January1,08305
February88807
March693252
April34714184
May12289437
June12241679
July1334798
August2292755
September58134527
October30620220
November628150
December94409

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 3.9 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 USC00121747 (Columbus). Public domain.