Category Archives: Weather

Winter 2022-2023 Review

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Winter 2022-2023 Review

A scene largely absent from the 2022-2023 winter.

The Winter 2022-2023 Review shows that the season was one of the warmest ever recorded for Columbus, with near consistent above average- and sometimes record-breaking temperatures. Snow, as a consequence, was well below average.

The rankings below are good through the 2022-2023 season.

December-February Only
Average High: 45.8 4th Warmest
Average Low: 29.4 7th Warmest
Mean: 37.6 5th Warmest
Precipitation: 7.80″ 62nd Wettest
Snowfall: 11.2″ 30th Least Snowy
Average Daily Snow Depth: 0.3″ Tied for 4th Lowest
Largest Snowstorm: 4.9″ on 12/23/2022
# of 32 or Below Highs: 10 5th Fewest
# of 32 or Below Lows: 51 Tied for 4th Fewest
# of Measurable Precipitation Days: 40 Tied for 13th Most
# of Measurable Snowfall Days: 10 Tied for 6th Fewest
Highest Average Daily Wind Speed in MPH: 23.3 on 12/23/2022
Highest Wind Gust in MPH: 54 on 1/19/2023
# of Clear Days: 6 6.67%
# of Partly Cloudy Days: 38 42.22%
# of Cloudy Days: 46 51.11%

Early winter ended up being the coldest and snowiest part of the season, with every subsequent month getting warmer. There were very few freezing days during the heart of the winter, and despite a somewhat stormy pattern with seemingly endless windy days, there was relatively little precipitation.

The biggest snowstorm was on December 23rd, when a very strong low pressure system and cold front brought heavy snow and very cold temperatures, making for one of the coldest Christmas Eves and Days in many years.

Entire Cold Season: October-April
Average High: 53.8 3rd Warmest
Average Low: 34.5 Tied for 14th Warmest
Mean: 44.1 Tied for 6th Warmest
Precipitation: 19.13″ 63rd Driest
Snowfall: 14.5″ Tied for 21st Least Snowy
Average Snow Depth: 0.1″ Tied for 2nd Lowest
Largest Snowstorm: 4.9″ on 12/23/2022
# of 32 or Below Highs: 11 Tied for 2nd Fewest
# of 32 or Below Lows: 83 6th Fewest
# of Measurable Precipitation Days: 79 Tied for 14th Fewest
# of Measurable Snowfall Days: 15 Tied for 6th Fewest
Highest Average Daily Wind Speed in MPH: 23.3 on 12/23/2022
Highest Wind Gust in MPH: 59 on 3/3/2023
# of Clear Days: 30 14.15%
# of Partly Cloudy Days: 95 44.81%
# of Cloudy Days: 87 41.04%

The entire cold season didn’t really live up to its name. All months except October ended up above normal. Now let’s break down those months individually.

Average High By Month
October 2022: 65.6 44th Warmest
November 2022: 54.6 Tied for 19th Warmest
December 2022: 41.8 Tied for 36th Warmest
January 2023: 43.8 13th Warmest
February 2023: 52.3 1st Warmest
March 2023: 52.6 33rd Warmest
April 2023: 65.7 20th Warmest

February, 2023 had the warmest average high mean on record, beating the next closest year- 2017- by 0.5 degrees.

Average Low By Month
October 2022: 42.7 Tied for 28th Coldest
November 2022: 36.0 29th Warmest
December 2022: 27.4 Tied for 40th Warmest
January 2023: 31.0 6th Warmest
February 2023: 30.0 10th Warmest
March 2023: 32.1 Tied for 45th Warmest
April 2023: 42.0 Tied for 35th Warmest

Mean By Month
October 2022: 54.1 Tied for 33rd Coldest
November 2022: 45.3 Tied for 18th Warmest
December 2022: 34.6 Tied for 37th Warmest
January 2023: 37.4 10th Warmest
February 2023: 41.1 3rd Warmest
March 2023: 42.4 Tied for 40th Warmest
April 2023: 53.9 Tied for 23rd Warmest

Precipitation By Month
October 2022: 0.60″ 11th Driest
November 2022: 2.34″ 58th Driest
December 2022: 2.02″ 39th Driest
January 2023: 4.16″ 28th Wettest
February 2023: 1.62″ Tied for 41st Driest
March 2023: 5.22″ 17th Wettest
April 2023: 3.17″ Tied for 64th Wettest

Snowfall By Month
October 2022: Trace Tied for 2nd Least Snowy
November 2022: 0.3″ Tied for 5th Least Snowy
December 2022: 5.8″ 38th Snowiest
January 2023: 5.4″ Tied for 39th Least Snowy
February 2023: Trace 1st Least Snowy
March 2023: 1.0″ Tied for 10th Least Snowy
April 2023: Trace Tied for 2nd Least Snowy

February’s Trace was the lowest ever recorded for the month.

Average Snow Depth By Month
October 2022: 0.0″
November 2022: 0.0″
December 2022: 0.7″
January 2023: 0.1″
February 2023: 0.0″
March 2023: 0.0″
April 2023: 0.0″



Maximum High By Month
October 2022: 77 on the 6th, 23rd and 24th
November 2022: 77 on the 5th
December 2022: 65 on the 30th
January 2023: 62 on the 3rd
February 2023: 73 on the 23rd
March 2023: 75 on the 1st
April 2023: 84 on the 20th

Maximum High Records
-The 77 on November 5th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 76 set in 1977.
– The 65 on December 30th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 63 set in 1964.
-The 72 on February 9th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 66 set in 2001.
-The 72 on February 15th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 70 set in 1954.
-The 73 on February 23rd was a record for the date, beating the old record of 72 set in 2017.
-The 75 on March 1st was a record for the date, beating the old record of 65 set in 1972 and 1997.

Minimum High By Month
October 2022: 45 on the 18th
November 2022: 30 on the 20th
December 2022: 14 on the 24th
January 2023: 26 on the 31st
February 2023: 30 on the 1st
March 2023: 33 on the 14th
April 2023: 46 on the 2nd and 17th

Maximum Low By Month
October 2022: 57 on the 31st
November 2022: 62 on the 5th
December 2022: 54 on the 30th
January 2023: 56 on the 3rd
February 2023: 47 on the 15th
March 2023: 47 on the 23rd
April 2023: 60 on the 5th

Maximum Low Records
-The 62 on November 6th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 61 set in 1977.
-The 49 on January 2nd tied the record for the date, matching 1997, 2000 and 2005.
-The 56 on January 3rd was a record for the date, beating the old record of 55 set in 1997.

Minimum Low By Month
October 2022: 32 on the 20th
November 2022: 17 on the 20th
December 2022: -7 on the 23rd
January 2023: 16 on the 15th
February 2023: 12 on the 4th
March 2023: 18 on the 19th
April 2023: 29 on the 25th

Highest Daily Precipitation by Month
October 2022: 0.15″ on the 12th and 30th
November 2022: 1.14″ on the 11th
December 2022: 0.44″ on the 15th
January 2023: 0.73″ on the 12th
February 2023: 0.73″ on the 27th
March 2023: 1.6″ on the 3rd
April 2023: 0.91″ on the 5th

Precipitation Records
-The 1.14″ on November 11th set a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.03″ set in 1995.
-The 1.60″ on March 3rd set a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.31″ set in 2020.

Highest Daily Snowfall By Month
October 2022: Trace on the 18th
November 2022: 0.2″ on the 12th
December 2022: 4.9″ on the 23rd
January 2023: 3.0″ on the 22nd
February 2023: Trace on the 3rd and 17th
March 2023: 0.4″ on the 12th and 13th
April 2023: Trace on the 17th

Deepest Snow Depth By Month
October 2022: 0.0″
November 2022: Trace on the 13th
December 2022: 4″ on the 23rd, 24th, 25th and 27th
January 2023: 2″ on the 23rd
February 2023: Trace on the 1st
March 2023: 1″ on the 14th
April 2023: 0.0″

Average Daily Wind Speed by Month in MPH
October 2022: 7.9
November 2022: 8.2
December 2022: 8.0
January 2023: 8.4
February 2023: 9.7
March 2023: 10.0
April 2023: 8.1

Highest Wind Gust by Month in MPH
October 2022: 38 on the 26th
November 2022: 44 on the 27th and 30th
December 2022: 46 on the 23rd
January 2023: 54 on the 19th
February 2023: 49 on the 9th
March 2023: 59 on the 3rd
April 2023: 50 on the 1st

Clear Days by Month
October 2022: 8 25.81%
November 2022: 6 20.0%
December 2022: 2 6.45%
January 2023: 0 0.0%
February 2023: 4 14.29%
March 2023: 5 16.13%
April 2023: 5 16.67%

Partly Cloudy Days by Month
October 2022: 17 54.84%
November 2022: 13 43.33%
December 2022: 10 32.26%
January 2023: 13 41.94%
February 2023: 15 53.57%
March 2023: 15 48.39%
April 2023: 12 40.0%

Cloudy Days by Month
October 2022: 6 19.35%
November 2022: 11 36.67%
December 2022: 19 61.29%
January 2023: 18 58.06%
February 2023: 9 32.14%
March 2023: 11 35.48%
April 2023: 13 43.33%



Random Columbus Photos 11

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Photo Location: Intersection of McKinley Avenue and North Souder Avenue, looking west.
Photo Date: March, 1913
Photo History: The Great Flood of 1913 was the most devastating and deadly flood in Ohio history. 6″-12″ of rain fell between March 23-27, 1913 as two weather systems followed one after the other. Most of the rain fell across the headwaters of major rivers, including the Scioto. The subsequent flood destroyed levees in Columbus and flooded parts of Franklinton- among other areas- with up to 17′ of water with a record crest. The entire riverfront suffered heavy damage with hundreds of buildings damaged or destroyed. 100 people were reportedly killed around the city. Floods like 1913- and later in 1959- eventually led to the federal government limiting new development and investment in Franklinton, which caused it to decline for decades. It wasn’t until 2004 with the completion of the Franklinton floodwall that those limitations were lifted.
Random Columbus photos 11 Columbus, Ohio Flood of 1913

The same view today.

Columbus wasn’t the only victim of this great flood. Virtually every major city saw some significant impact, but Dayton arguably got it much worse than any other.



The 2010 President’s Day Snowstorm

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The 2010 President’s Day Snowstorm was the third and largest snowstorm to strike Columbus and Ohio during February, 2010. Models began showing the potential for another snow event in the Ohio Valley several days before. Initially, the track was well south, with only counties along the Ohio River being impacted, as this excerpt from the February 12, 2010 Area Forecast Discussion from Wilmington National Weather Service mentions:
MODEL SOLUTIONS CONTINUE TO DIFFER ON SYSTEM COMING IN SUNDAY NIGHT INTO THE BEGINNING OF THE WORK WEEK. THE GEM IS STILL THE FURTHEST SOUTH WITH THE UPCOMING SYSTEM. THE ECMWF HAS TRENDED NORTH WITH THE LATEST RUN AND IS NOW MORE IN LINE WITH THE GFS. THE ECMWF NOW ACTUALLY HAS THE SURFACE LOW SLIGHTLY FURTHER NORTH THAN THE GFS.
WENT WITH A GFS AND ECMWF BLEND. IT WILL BE COLD ENOUGH THAT PRECIPITATION WILL ALL BE IN THE FORM OF SNOW. MONDAY WILL SEE THE GREATEST CHANCE FOR SNOW WITH LOW TRACKING ACROSS KENTUCKY. ACCUMULATING SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE…ESPECIALLY ALONG AND SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER.

As the event grew closer, however, model solutions inched northward. On the afternoon of Saturday, February 13th, Wilmington issued the first Winter Storm Watch for parts of Ohio, but the focus continued to be south of Columbus.
URGENT – WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON OH
222 PM EST SAT FEB 13 2010
…ANOTHER WINTER STORM TO AFFECT THE OHIO VALLEY…
.LOW PRESSURE WILL DEVELOP OVER THE LOWER OHIO VALLEY ON SUNDAY…AND WILL TRACK INTO THE CENTRAL APPALACHIANS BY MONDAY EVENING. AS THE LOW MOVES SOUTH OF THE OHIO RIVER SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY…SNOW WILL OVERSPREAD PARTS OF INDIANA…KENTUCKY AND OHIO. THIS SYSTEM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW ACROSS PARTS OF THE OHIO VALLEY…ESPECIALLY ACROSS AREAS SOUTH OF THE I-70 CORRIDOR.
FRANKLIN IN-RIPLEY-DEARBORN-OHIO-SWITZERLAND-CARROLL-GALLATIN-BOONE-KENTON-CAMPBELL-OWEN-GRANT-PENDLETON-BRACKEN-ROBERTSON-MASON-LEWIS-FAYETTE OH-PICKAWAY-FAIRFIELD-BUTLER-WARREN-CLINTON-ROSS-HOCKING-HAMILTON-CLERMONT-BROWN-HIGHLAND-ADAMS-PIKE-SCIOTO-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…BROOKVILLE…VERSAILLES…LAWRENCEBURG…RISING SUN…VEVAY…CARROLLTON…WARSAW…
BURLINGTON…INDEPENDENCE…ALEXANDRIA…OWENTON…WILLIAMSTOWN…FALMOUTH…BROOKSVILLE…MOUNT OLIVET…MAYSVILLE…VANCEBURG…WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE…CIRCLEVILLE…LANCASTER…HAMILTON…
LEBANON…WILMINGTON…CHILLICOTHE…LOGAN…CINCINNATI…MILFORD…GEORGETOWN…HILLSBORO…WEST UNION…PIKETON…PORTSMOUTH
…WINTER STORM WATCH IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT…
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN WILMINGTON HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WATCH…WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM SUNDAY EVENING THROUGH LATE MONDAY NIGHT.
LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP SUNDAY EVENING…AS A STORM SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE OHIO VALLEY. SNOW WILL INCREASE IN INTENSITY THROUGH EARLY MONDAY…WITH OCCASIONAL SNOW CONTINUING INTO MONDAY EVENING. BY THE TIME SNOW ENDS EARLY TUESDAY…THE POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR TOTAL SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES…WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS.
THESE FORECAST SNOW AMOUNTS ARE HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF THE UPCOMING STORM SYSTEM. IF THE SYSTEM MOVES FURTHER NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE CURRENT FORECAST TRACK…THEN SNOWFALL AMOUNTS MAY BE LESS.

While Columbus was not included in the initial Watch, its zone forecast did call for accumulating snow by the 13th.
OHZ054>056-140930-
MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…LONDON…COLUMBUS…NEWARK
332 PM EST SAT FEB 13 2010
.TONIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH SCATTERED FLURRIES. LOWS 15 TO 20. WEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.SUNDAY…PARTLY SUNNY. SCATTERED FLURRIES IN THE MORNING. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 20S. SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH.
.SUNDAY NIGHT…MOSTLY CLOUDY. A CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. LOWS 10 TO 15. WEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH…BECOMING NORTHWEST AFTER MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF SNOW 40 PERCENT.
.PRESIDENTS DAY…SNOW. SNOW ACCUMULATION 2 TO 4 INCHES. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S. NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH…BECOMING NORTHWEST IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF SNOW 80 PERCENT.
.MONDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY. SNOW LIKELY IN THE EVENING…THEN A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT. ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. LOWS 15 TO 20. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 70 PERCENT.
.TUESDAY…CLOUDY WITH A 50 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S.
.TUESDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 30 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS. LOWS AROUND 20.

By the morning of the Valentine’s Day, models had moved far enough north with the low track that the I-70 corridor was in line for much higher totals. At 2:43AM that day, the Winter Storm Watch was expanded into Central Ohio, with predictions of 5″-8″. By late morning, the Watch was upgraded to a Warning, and totals were upped slightly to 6″-9″.
OHZ054>056-150930-
MADISON-FRANKLIN OH-LICKING-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF…LONDON…COLUMBUS…NEWARK
409 PM EST SUN FEB 14 2010
…WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM MONDAY TO 6 AM EST TUESDAY…
.TONIGHT…PARTLY CLOUDY THIS EVENING…THEN MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SNOW AFTER MIDNIGHT. MOSTLY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW LATE. LOWS 15 TO 20. SOUTHWEST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH… BECOMING SOUTHEAST AFTER MIDNIGHT. CHANCE OF SNOW 40 PERCENT.
.PRESIDENTS DAY…SNOW. SNOW MAY BE HEAVY AT TIMES IN THE AFTERNOON. SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 4 TO 6 INCHES. HIGHS IN THE UPPER 20S. NORTHEAST WINDS 5 TO 10 MPH…BECOMING NORTH IN THE AFTERNOON. CHANCE OF SNOW 100 PERCENT.
.MONDAY NIGHT…SNOW…MAINLY IN THE EVENING. TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATION OF 6 TO 9 INCHES. LOWS AROUND 20. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 90 PERCENT.
.TUESDAY…CLOUDY. SNOW SHOWERS LIKELY…MAINLY IN THE AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATION POSSIBLE. HIGHS IN THE MID 20S. WEST WINDS 15 TO 20 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. CHANCE OF SNOW 60 PERCENT.
.TUESDAY NIGHT…CLOUDY WITH A 40 PERCENT CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS.LOWS IN THE LOWER 20S. WEST WINDS 10 TO 15 MPH WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.

Snow began in the area by 8:30AM on the 15th and was heavy through mid-afternoon. The bulk of the snow moved out of the area by Midnight, with only occasional wraparound snow showers continuing into the 16th.

The storm generally exceeded forecast snow totals across the region. Columbus received a record 9.7″ for the 15th, with a total storm total of 10.4″, making it one of the very rare storms to produce double-digit snowfall totals for the city. Since 1950, Columbus has had just 6 such events- the Great Thanksgiving Blizzard of 1950, April 3-4, 1987, February 14-17, 2003, March, 2008, President’s Day 2010 and February 4-5, 2014. Double-digit snowfalls have historically occurred roughly once every 12 years. It has been 9 years since the last one, but there have been decades between some of them.

Snowfall totals across Franklin County were 7″-11″, with the highest totals in the southwest. Most of the I-70 corridor south had at least 6″. Snow depths in Columbus reached record highs, with the airport having a post-storm depth of 14″, the highest February depth since at least 1939.

This was the peak event for the month, but not the end of February, 2010’s historically snowy run. A 4th, but far smaller snow event would occur towards the end of the month, bringing a general 3″-5″ across most areas. This would contribute to making the month the all-time snowiest on record for many areas. Columbus’ 30.1″ of snow for the month was the highest on record, and is the 2nd snowiest of any month to ever occur, falling just behind January, 1978’s 34.4″. Cincinnati, Dayton and other cities would also record either their top snowiest or 2nd snowiest February as well. Additionally, Winter 2009-2010 went into the record books at the 5th snowiest of all time. A truly memorable run!

If you are interested in seeing stats from other winters, records of all types can be found on the Winter Season Records page.



Independence Day Climatology

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Independence Day climatology is available going back to 1878. Here’s a breakdown through 2021.

July 4th Normals 1878-2021
High: 84.4
Low: 64
Mean: 74
Precipitation: 0.12″

July 4th Normals 1991-2020
High: 85
Low: 65
Mean: 75
Precipitation: 0.15″


Top 10 Coldest July 4th Highs
1. 1882, 1922: 69
2. 1924, 1967, 1978, 2008: 71
3. 1909, 1927, 1972, 1979, 2016: 72
4. 1920: 73
5. 1937, 1989: 74
6. 1892, 1910, 1940, 1941, 1960, 1997, 2009: 76
7. 1917, 1964, 1968, 1970, 1976, 2013: 77
8. 1891, 1961, 2014: 78
9. 1889, 1933, 1996, 2001, 2015: 79
10. 1898, 1906, 1926, 1938, 1962, 1992; 80
Independence Day climatology average high

Top 10 Warmest July 4th Highs
1. 1911: 104
2. 1897: 102
3. 2012: 100
4. 1919: 97
5. 1900, 1921, 1949, 2002: 96
6. 1990, 1999: 95
7. 1903, 1948, 2020: 94
8. 1881, 1883, 1899, 1918, 1958, 1988, 2018: 93
9. 1913, 1993, 2003: 92
10. 1880, 1901, 1902, 1931, 1944, 1974, 2010: 91

Independence day climatology high temperature days of occurrence

Top 10 Coldest July 4th Lows
1. 1968: 47
2. 1963: 49
3. 1996: 50
4. 1986: 51
5. 1927, 1940: 52
6. 1960, 1961, 1965, 1972: 53
7. 1892, 1909, 1924, 1930, 1979: 54
8. 1895, 1907: 55
9. 1891, 1915, 1922, 1976, 1992: 56
10. 1953, 1964, 1967, 1988, 2014: 57
Independence day climatology average low

Top 10 Warmest July 4th Lows
1. 1911: 79
2. 1897, 1900, 1999: 75
3. 1879, 1921: 74
4. 1883, 1902, 2012, 2018: 73
5. 1899, 1919, 1991, 2002, 2004; 72
6. 1884, 1903, 1913, 1943, 1974, 2005, 2013: 71
7. 1888, 1896, 1901, 1980, 2003, 2011: 70
8. 1878, 1905, 1908, 1935, 1949, 1957, 1966, 1983, 1987, 2000, 2006: 69
9. 1881, 1887, 1894, 1936, 1954, 1973, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1993, 1995, 2020: 68
10. 1912, 1928, 1934, 1939, 1952, 1956, 1969, 1975, 1998, 2017: 67

Independence day climatology low temperature by occurrence

Top 10 Coldest July 4th Means
1. 1927, 1968: 62.0
2. 1922, 1924, 1972: 62.5
3. 1909, 1979: 63.0
4. 1882: 63.5
5. 1940, 1967: 64.0
6. 1960, 1996: 64.5
7. 1892, 1963: 65.0
8. 1961: 65.5
9. 1920: 66.0
10. 1976, 1986, 2008: 66.5
Independence day climatology average mean

Top 10 Warmest July 4th Means
1. 1911: 91.5
2. 1897: 88.5
3. 2012: 86.5
4. 1900: 85.5
5. 1921, 1999: 85.0
6. 1919: 84.5
7. 2002: 84.0
8. 1883, 2018: 83.0
9. 1899, 1903, 1949: 82.5
10. 1902: 82.0

Top 10 Wettest July 4ths
1. 1984: 1.38″
2. 1935: 1.04″
3. 1915: 0.86″
4. 1932: 0.84″
5. 1957: 0.66″
6. 2008: 0.61″
7. 1939: 0.60″
8. 2003: 0.59″
9. 1926: 0.58″
10. 2006: 0.56″
Independence day climatology average precipitation

Independence day climatology precipitation occurrence

The July Weather Records provides additional detailed information on the rest of the month.




Winter 2021-2022 Review

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Winter 2021-2022 Review Columbus, Ohio

Time for the Winter 2021-2022 review! Overall, this past winter was much warmer than normal, but almost entirely because of a scorching December. This brought only about 50% of normal snowfall for the season despite being one of the wettest winters on record. This review includes new data not given for past winter reviews- wind and cloud information.

December-February Only
Average High: 41.7 Tied for 19th Warmest
Average Low: 24.7 Tied for 38th Warmest
Mean: 33.2 Tied for 27th Warmest
Precipitation: 13.24″ 6th Wettest
Snowfall: 11.6″ Tied for 32nd Least Snowy
Average Daily Snow Depth: 0.4″ Tied for 5th Lowest
Largest Snowstorm: 4.5″ on 2/3-2/4.
# of 32 or Below Highs: 26 Tied for 20th Fewest
# of 32 or Below Lows: 69 Tied for 17th Fewest
# of Measurable Precipitation Days: 33 Tied for 9th Fewest
# of Measurable Snowfall Days: 12 Tied for 8th Fewest
Highest Average Daily Wind Speed in MPH: 18.6 on January 5th
Highest Wind Gust in MPH: 54 on December 11th
# of Clear Days: 11 12.2%
# of Partly Cloudy Days: 43 47.8%
# of Cloudy Days: 36 40.0%

The core of the winter was warm and wet, but with relatively few precipitation days that just brought higher individual totals. Snowfall was way below normal for the period, with no snow events at or above 6″ for the 6th winter in a row. The last time a snow event dropped at least 6″ was on February 21, 2015. 6″ events, historically, have occurred about every 2 years, so in the last 7 years, Columbus should’ve had at least three.

Entire Cold Season: October-April
Average High: 52.1 Tied for 8th Warmest
Average Low: 33.7 Tied for 21st Warmest
Mean: 42.9 Tied for 12th Warmest
Precipitation: 24.32″ Tied for 20th Wettest
Snowfall: 14.5″ 27th Lowest
Average Snow Depth: 0.2″ Tied for 3rd Lowest
Largest Snowstorm: 4.5″ on 2/3-2/4
# of 32 or Below Highs: 27 Tied for 17th Fewest
# of 32 or Below Lows: 100 Tied for 19th Fewest
# of Measurable Precipitation Days: 82 Tied for 17th Fewest
# of Measurable Snowfall Days: 17 Tied for 8th Fewest
Highest Average Daily Wind Speed in MPH: 18.6 on January 5th
Highest Wind Gust in MPH: 54 on December 11th
# of Clear Days: 23 10.8%
# of Partly Cloudy Days: 105 49.6%
# of Cloudy Days: 84 39.6%

The overall cold season was very warm and wet just as the core winter was, with a very warm October and December.

Average High By Month
October 2021: 70.6 Tied for 10th Warmest
November 2021: 50.9 Tied for 47th Coldest
December 2021: 50.5 3rd Warmest
January 2022: 33.5 Tied for 30th Coldest
February 2022: 41.2 Tied for 35th Warmest
March 2022: 56.8 Tied for 11th Warmest
April 2022: 60.1 Tied for 36th Coldest

Average Low By Month
October 2021: 53.9 1st Warmest
November 2021: 32.7 Tied for 25th Coldest
December 2021: 33.1 9th Warmest
January 2022: 17.2 28th Coldest
February 2022: 23.7 55th Coldest
March 2022: 33.8 35th Warmest
April 2022: 40.9 Tied for 32nd Coldest

Mean By Month
October 2021: 62.2 Tied for 3rd Warmest
November 2021: 41.8 Tied for 33rd Coldest
December 2021: 41.8 4th Warmest
January 2022: 25.3 29th Coldest
February 2022: 32.5 46th Warmest
March 2022: 45.3 Tied for 20th Warmest
April 2022: 50.5 Tied for 34th Coldest

Precipitation By Month
October 2021: 3.57″ Tied for 28th Wettest
November 2021: 1.90″ 40th Driest
December 2021: 4.51″ 13th Wettest
January 2022: 2.61″ 59th Wettest
February 2022: 6.12″ Tied for 4th Wettest
March 2022: 2.29″ 37th Driest
April 2022: 3.32″ 58th Wettest

Snowfall By Month
October 2021: 0.0″ Tied for 1st Least Snowy
November 2021: 0.6″ Tied for 8th Least Snowy
December 2021: 0.5″ Tied for 7th Least Snowy
January 2022: 6.3″ Tied for 45th Least Snowy
February 2022: 4.8″ Tied for 35th Least Snowy
March 2022: 2.2″ Tied for 22nd Least Snowy
April 2022: 0.1″ Tied for 3rd Least Snowy

Average Snow Depth By Month
October 2021: 0.0″
November 2021: 0.0″
December 2021: Trace
January 2022: 0.5″
February 2022: 0.7″
March 2022: 0.1″
April 2022: 0.0″



Maximum High By Month
October 2021: 86 on the 14th
November 2021: 69 on the 8th and 11th
December 2021: 65 on the 11th and 27th
January 2022: 59 on the 1st
February 2022: 62 on the 21st
March 2022: 80 on the 30th
April 2022: 84 on the 23rd

Maximum High Records
The 86 on October 14th tied the record for the date, last set in 1897.

Minimum High By Month
October 2021: 51 on the 27th
November 2021: 37 on the 14th
December 2021: 27 on the 7th
January 2022: 19 on the 29th
February 2022: 21 on the 5th
March 2022: 28 on the 12th
April 2022: 41 on the 18th

Maximum Low By Month
October 2021: 68 on the 7th
November 2021: 48 on the 17th
December 2021: 49 on the 25th
January 2022: 41 on the 1st
February 2022: 49 on the 22nd
March 2022: 54 on the 6th
April 2022: 62 on the 24th

Maximum Low Records
-The 65 on October 14th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 62 set in 1879.
-The 64 on October 15th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 62 set in 1897.

Minimum Low By Month
October 2021: 38 on the 27th
November 2021: 22 on the 23rd
December 2021: 20 on the 7th and 23rd
January 2022: 0 on the 26th
February 2022: 11 on the 14th
March 2022: 15 on the 13th
April 2022: 25 on the 2nd

Highest Daily Precipitation By Month
October 2021: 0.82″ on the 24th
November 2021: 0.66″ on the 11th
December 2021: 1.44″ on the 6th
January 2022: 1.34″ on the 1st
February 2022: 1.83″ on the 17th
March 2022: 1.30″ on the 7th
April 2022: 0.64″ on the 18th

Precipitation Records
-The 1.44″ on December 6th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.10″ in 1971.
-The 0.82″ on December 25th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 0.79″ in 2009.
-The 1.34″ on January 1st was a record for the date, beating the old record of 1.28″ in 1948.
-The 1.83″ on February 17th was a record for the date, beating the old record of 0.74″ in 1910.
-The 1.40″ on February 22nd was a record for the date, beating the old record of 0.96″ in 1971.

Highest Daily Snowfall By Month
October 2021: 0.0″
November 2021: 0.4″ on the 14th
December 2021: 0.3″ on the 7th
January 2022: 1.7″ on the 16th
February 2022: 3.3″ on the 3rd
March 2022: 2.1″ on the 11th
April 2022: 0.1″ on the 1st

Deepest Snow Depth By Month
October 2021: 0″
November 2021: Trace on the 26th and 27th
December2021: Trace on the 8th
January 2022: 2″ on the 17th, 18th and 25th
February 2022: 4″ on the 5th and 6th
March 2022: 2″ on the 12th
April 2022: 0″

Average Daily Wind Speed by Month in MPH
October 2021: 7.3
November 2021: 7.8
December 2021: 7.8
January 2022: 9.1
February 2022: 9.2
March: 2022: 10.0
April: 2022: 9.5

Highest Wind Gust by Month in MPH
October 2021: 40 on the 17th
November 2021: 40 on the 12th
December 2021: 54 on the 11th
January: 2022: 40 on the 5th
February 2022: 41 on the 17th
March 2022: 45 on the 7th
April 2022: 42 on the 25th

Clear Days by Month
October 2021: 3 9.6%
November 2021: 5 16.7%
December 2021: 4 12.9%
January 2022: 3 9.6%
February 2022: 4 14.3%
March 2022: 2 6.5%
April 2022: 2 6.7%

Partly Cloudy Days by Month
October 2021: 14 45.2%
November 2021: 15 50.0%
December 2021: 13 41.9%
January 2022: 16 51.7%
February 2022: 14 50.0%
March 2022: 18 58.0%
April 2022: 15 50.0%

Cloudy Days by Month
October 2021: 14 45.2%
November 2021: 10 33.3%
December 2021: 14 45.2%
January 2022: 12 38.7%
February 2022: 10 35.7%
March 2022: 11 35.5%
April 2022: 13 43.3%

The following file contains a full daily record of the December-February winter period.
Winter 2021-2022 Dailies

Both the winter season records page and Wilmington National Weather Service provide additional winter weather history and information.

The previous review is at Winter 2020-2021.