Will it snow in Columbus?
Columbus, Ohio · checked 5:08 pm EDT, Mon Oct 19
This week: the National Weather Service forecast
Snow is not in the National Weather Service forecast for Columbus for the next 7 days.
NWS forecast for central Columbus, issued 4:00 pm EDT, Mon Oct 19. It covers about 7 days and is updated several times a day.
The whole 7-day forecast
- This Afternoon: Sunny, with a high near 67. Southeast wind around 2 mph.
- Tonight: Clear, with a low around 39. Northeast wind around 1 mph.
- Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 71. Northeast wind 1 to 6 mph.
- Tuesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 43. Northeast wind 1 to 5 mph.
- Wednesday: Sunny, with a high near 69. North wind 1 to 5 mph.
- Wednesday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 42.
- Thursday: Sunny, with a high near 70.
- Thursday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 46.
- Friday: Sunny, with a high near 67.
- Friday Night: Clear, with a low around 42.
- Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 67.
- Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 44.
- Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 69.
- Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 46.
NWS forecast for Columbus · Weather alerts in Ohio · Winter storm outlook
How often it snows in Columbus
Columbus averages 28.2 inches of snow a year in NOAA's 1991–2020 climate normals (from 30 years of snowfall records in 1991–2020).
Measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) fell in 30 of the 30 winters from 1991–92 to 2020–21 with complete records — about 100%.
In the winters that had any, the median date of the first measurable snow was November 21, and of the last April 1. The earliest first snow came on October 30, 1993.
The snowiest of those winters was 2013–14, with 56.4 inches.
The snowiest month on average is January, with 9.5 inches.
On average there are 28.3 days a year with at least 0.1 inch of snowfall.
Average snowfall by month, 1991–2020
| Month | Snowfall |
|---|---|
| October | 0.2 inches |
| November | 1.2 inches |
| December | 5.1 inches |
| January | 9.5 inches |
| February | 7.6 inches |
| March | 4.1 inches |
| April | 0.5 inches |
Months with none on average are left out.
Will Columbus have a white Christmas?
NOAA's 1991–2020 daily normals give Columbus a 23% chance of at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25 — the measure NOAA uses for its white Christmas maps.
The chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow falling that day is 21%.
These are long-run chances from past winters, smoothed across the days around Christmas — not a forecast for this year.
White Christmas in Columbus: every Christmas Day since 1991
Where these numbers come from
Climate: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual, monthly and daily station normals) for Columbus Port Columbus International Airport, GHCN-Daily station USW00014821, 11 km from the city centre. First and last snow dates, the share of winters with snow and the snowiest winter were counted by this site from the same station's daily snowfall for the winters 1991–92 to 2020–21, read through the Regional Climate Centers' ACIS service; a winter with more than 10 missing days between October and April is left out. Forecast: the National Weather Service API, read at most once an hour. All US government data, public domain.
This site does not issue warnings or predict snow. It repeats the official forecast and the long-run record.
NOAA's winter outlook 2026–27 for Ohio
Questions
Will it snow in Columbus this week?
Snow is not in the National Weather Service forecast for Columbus for the next 7 days. The National Weather Service updates its forecast several times a day.
Will it snow in Columbus this winter (2026–27)?
Nobody can say for a whole winter ahead. In the 30 winters from 1991–92 to 2020–21 with complete records, measurable snow fell in 30, and the 1991–2020 average is 28.2 inches a year. NOAA's seasonal outlook gives the chances of a colder or wetter winter than normal, not snow totals.
When does Columbus usually get its first snow?
In the 30 winters that had measurable snow, the median date of the first one was November 21; the earliest was October 30, 1993.
Will Columbus have a white Christmas?
NOAA's 1991–2020 daily normals give Columbus a 23% chance of at least 1 inch of snow on the ground on December 25 — the measure NOAA uses for its white Christmas maps. The chance of at least 0.1 inch of snow falling that day is 21%. These are long-run chances from past winters, smoothed across the days around Christmas — not a forecast for this year.
Will it snow in other US cities?
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