by Sam Smart

Created on: August 12, 2009

Columbus, the capital of Ohio, enjoys a humid continental climate. The city experiences winters that are chilly and quite snowy, whereas summers are very warm and often humid. Spring can be stormy but rather mild, and the autumn days are usually pleasant. Precipitation in Columbus is distributed yearly; 38.50 inches is the annual norm.

Winter

Winters are often cloudy and cold. Residents of Columbus prepare for occasional blasts of Arctic air masses that ooze from Canada, dropping temperatures into the single digits and the sub-zero readings. Daytime temperatures, though, are typically in the 30s and occasionally top around forty degrees. But there are many days when they don't rise above the freezing mark of 32 degrees at all. In the meantime, evening temperature lows in the teens and the lower 20s will be common.

Winter preciptation amounts are moderate for Columbus. They average around 2.5 inches from December to February. Normal snowfall amounts add up to nearly 21 inches in a single winter. Sometimes snowstorms associated with low pressure systems from Canada or the southern United States bring heavy snows to the city.

Spring

Spring can be noted for short periods of temperature changes. Because of strong cold fronts and warm fronts that bring such sharp temperature changes, there are days when temperatures can drop or rise fourty degrees in a day. Nevertheless, normal high temperatures range from the 50s in March to the 70s in May. Evening low temperatures increase from the 30s in March to the 50s in May.

Since Columbus lies between two large air masses - the warm, moist Gulf of Mexico air mass and the cool Canadian air mass -thunderstorms bound to form. The greatest threat for any severe thunderstorms is in late April through early June. They can bring heavy rains, damaging winds, large hail, and even tornadoes.

Summer

Columbus' summers are known to be warm, moist, and sometimes stormy. Temperatures in the daytime are normally in the middle 80s. However, hot days of 90 degrees or more happen at least fifteen times in a normal summer. The usual high humidity from the Gulf of Mexico creates even more uncomfortable levels to the residents of Columbus. Nighttime low temperatures are usually in the 60s, but thanks to that Gulf of Mexico, temperatures may only fall into the 70s.

Summer thunderstorms bring heavy rainfall, which most of them contribute to the normal summer amounts of about four inches from June through August. Especially on moist, humid days, thunderstorms pop up out of nowhere. The residents can be expected to see torrential downpours, vivid lightning, and possible hail from those storms.

Autumn

Autumn is usually pleasant because of the dry Canadian air that will take place, along with lots of sunshine hours. High temperatures range form the 70s in September to the 50s in November. The usual crisp evenings experience lows ranging from the 50s to the 30s. Monthly precipitation amounts average 2.5 from September to November. The first measurable snowfall of the season can be expected to arrive sometime in November.

Like the rest of the Midwest, Columbus has a varient climate. It ranges from cold winters to warm summers, with plenty of precipitation in store. Autumn is the best season to visit because the air is usually clear with the sunshine and temperatures are mild. They are great for watching the early season football games.

Note: The temperatures are in degrees Fahrenheit; the climate summary is based on the 1971-2000 climate data out of Port Columbus International Airport.

Source

National Weather Service Climate at Wilmington, OH

www.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=iln

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