Columbus in Fall
In fall (September, October and November), Columbus sees average daytime highs around 65°F and overnight lows near 47°F, with 9.7 in of precipitation over about 26 wet days across the season. It is the 2nd-warmest season and the driest season of the year.
Over the season highs ease from about 82°F in early September to 48°F by late November. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time across fall, and the air most often feels dry.
Fall is Columbus's 2nd-best season to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Columbus's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 65°F
- 2nd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 47°F
- Precipitation
- 9.7 in
- 26 wet days
- Avg wind
- 7 mph
- Travel score
- 5.4
- 2nd-best season
- Months
- Sep · Oct · Nov
Temperature in Columbus in Fall
Over the season highs ease from about 82°F in early September to 48°F by late November.
A typical fall day in Columbus reaches about 65°F and drops to 47°F overnight. The warmest of the three months is September, the coolest November.
How fall really feels in Columbus
Once humidity and wind are folded in, fall brings about 0 days that feel above 90°F and 20 that feel at or below 32°F.
The story in fall is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Columbus weather by month
How the three fall months (September, October and November) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°F) | Rainfall (inches) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 38° / 24° | 3.3 | 9.3 | 3.7 | 9.6 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 42° / 26° | 2.9 | 8.5 | 3.4 | 10.5 | 0.4 |
| Mar | 53° / 35° | 4.1 | 10.8 | 1.6 | 11.7 | 2.8 |
| Apr | 64° / 46° | 4.9 | 12.3 | 0.2 | 13 | 5.4 |
| May | 73° / 56° | 5.0 | 13.3 | 0 | 14.1 | 6.2 |
| Jun | 82° / 65° | 4.4 | 11.8 | 0 | 14.7 | 5.8 |
| Jul | 85° / 68° | 3.6 | 11.6 | 0 | 14.5 | 5.1 |
| Aug | 84° / 66° | 3.1 | 9.1 | 0 | 13.5 | 5.8 |
| Sep | 78° / 58° | 3.0 | 8.1 | 0 | 12.3 | 7.1 |
| Oct | 66° / 47° | 3.2 | 8.5 | 0 | 11 | 6.2 |
| Nov | 52° / 37° | 3.5 | 9.2 | 0.7 | 9.9 | 2.9 |
| Dec | 42° / 29° | 3.5 | 10.2 | 3.1 | 9.3 | 0.3 |
Cloud cover in Fall
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time across fall.
Chance of precipitation in Fall
Columbus gets around 9.7 in of rain and snow over 26 wet days across fall. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Fall
Most of fall feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Fall
Winds average 7 mph across fall.
Sunrise & sunset in Fall
Daylight runs from about 12 h 54 min in early September to 9 h 30 min by late November. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Fall
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across fall, about 3.4 kWh/m².
Is fall a good time to visit Columbus?
Our two travel scores rate fall for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
fall is a reasonable time to visit Columbus for sightseeing.
What to pack for Columbus in Fall
From fall's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In fall, Columbus sees daytime highs around 65°F and nights near 47°F. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. About 26 days see rain.
UV index in Columbus in Fall
Clear-sky midday UV across fall averages around 4 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Columbus peaks around June 23 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 2 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| Level | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Very high | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | Low |
| Feb | 3 | Moderate |
| Mar | 5 | Moderate |
| Apr | 6 | High |
| May | 7 | Very high |
| Jun | 9 | Very high |
| Jul | 9 | Very high |
| Aug | 8 | Very high |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 3 | Moderate |
| Nov | 3 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2 | Low |
Air quality in Columbus in Fall
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where fall falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Columbus is worst in July — around 17 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.4× the cleanest month (October, 7 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 9 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 15 | 17 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 8 |
| Level | Good | Good | Good | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9 | Good |
| Feb | 11 | Good |
| Mar | 11 | Good |
| Apr | 11 | Good |
| May | 13 | Moderate |
| Jun | 15 | Moderate |
| Jul | 17 | Moderate |
| Aug | 13 | Moderate |
| Sep | 10 | Good |
| Oct | 7 | Good |
| Nov | 7 | Good |
| Dec | 8 | Good |
Where is Columbus?
Columbus sits at 39.2°N, 85.9°W, 630 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Seymour, 17 mi away.
Topography around Columbus
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Columbus.
Within 2 miles, the terrain around Columbus has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 112 ft around an average of 623 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 463 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 778 ft.
The land around Columbus is covered by cropland (33%), trees (26%) and artificial surfaces (23%) within 2 miles, cropland (46%) and trees (38%) within 10 miles, and trees (47%) and cropland (39%) within 50 miles.
United States travel facts
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 120 V · 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 100% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $90,027
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.8 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 98%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 5.8
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 12.7
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Columbus (39.2014°, -85.9214°, elevation 630 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google.