Columbus weather in September

In September, Columbus sees average daytime highs of 86°F and overnight lows near 66°F, with 3.3 in of rain across 7.5 wet days and about 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 89°F in the first days to 82°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in September, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 12 h 42 min at the start of September to 11 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Columbus's 2nd-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Columbus's year-round climate.

Daytime high
86°
4th warmest
Overnight low
66°
9th coldest
Rainfall
3.3 in
7.5 wet days
Daylight
12 h 12 min
5:42 AM – 5:54 PM
Cloud cover
47%
2nd clearest
Wind
5 mph
9th windiest
Solar energy
4.93 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.4
out of 10

Columbus is county seat of Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States.

Density
346/km²
people per km²
Founded
1821

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 89°F in the first days to 82°F by the end.

A typical September day in Columbus reaches about 86°F in the afternoon and slips back to 66°F overnight — a 21°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 78°F and 94°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 5°F cooler than August and about 10°F warmer than October.

40°60°80°100°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
19070
28970
38969
48969
58969
68969
78968
88868
98868
108868
118867
128867
138767
148766
158766
168766
178665
188665
198665
208564
218564
228564
238463
248463
258362
268362
278361
288261
298260
308260

How September really feels in Columbus

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 10 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
10
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in September is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Columbus weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 4th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan54° / 36°5.09.4103.4
Feb59° / 39°5.310.110.84.4
Mar67° / 46°5.310.911.76.1
Apr74° / 53°4.89.412.87.0
May82° / 62°4.310.113.76.0
Jun89° / 70°3.611.914.24.1
Jul91° / 73°4.013.7143.4
Aug91° / 72°3.510.913.23.6
Sep86° / 66°3.37.512.25.4
Oct76° / 54°3.56.911.27.5
Nov64° / 43°3.77.910.36.2
Dec56° / 38°5.110.49.83.8

Cloud cover in September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 47% of the time in September.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 17% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 36%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16238
26238
36238
46238
56337
66337
76337
86337
96436
106337
116337
126436
136436
146436
156337
166337
176337
186337
196337
206337
216436
226436
236535
246535
256733
266733
276832
286832
296832
306832

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Columbus gets around 3.3 in of rain over 7.5 wet days in September, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 25% and peaks near 27% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
127
226
326
426
526
625
725
825
925
1025
1125
1225
1325
1426
1526
1626
1727
1827
1927
2027
2127
2226
2326
2425
2524
2623
2722
2822
2921
3020

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of September feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, September lands in the muggy band about 30% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 51% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
1261837351
2361938341
3371938321
4472037311
5482137291
6582136281
7692236271
8692335261
97102334251
108102333241
119112432241
129112432230
1310122431230
1411122430220
1511132529220
1612132529210
1713132528200
1814142527200
1915142527190
2017142426180
2118152426170
2220152426160
2321162325150
2423162325130
2525172224120
2626172224110
2728172223100
282918212390
293118212280
303318212170

Wind in September

Winds average 5 mph in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 12 h 42 min at the start of September to 11 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 60 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 5:32 AM to 5:52 AM, and sunset from 6:15 PM to 5:34 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
112.75:326:15
212.75:326:14
312.75:336:13
412.65:346:11
512.65:346:10
612.65:356:08
712.55:366:07
812.55:366:06
912.55:376:04
1012.45:386:03
1112.45:386:01
1212.35:396:00
1312.35:405:58
1412.35:415:57
1512.25:415:56
1612.25:425:54
1712.25:435:53
1812.15:435:51
1912.15:445:50
2012.15:455:48
2112.05:455:47
2212.05:465:46
2312.05:475:44
2411.95:475:43
2511.95:485:41
2611.85:495:40
2711.85:505:38
2811.85:505:37
2911.75:515:36
3011.75:525:34

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.93 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.32 kWh/m² to a high of 6.2 kWh/m² in June across the year — September's 4.93 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.3Bright
25.3Bright
35.3Bright
45.2Bright
55.2Bright
65.2Bright
75.2Bright
85.1Bright
95.1Bright
105.1Bright
115.1Bright
125.0Bright
135.0Bright
145.0Bright
154.9Bright
164.9Bright
174.9Bright
184.8Bright
194.8Bright
204.8Bright
214.8Bright
224.7Bright
234.7Bright
244.7Bright
254.7Bright
264.6Bright
274.6Bright
284.6Bright
294.6Bright
304.5Bright
Planning a trip in September

Is September a good time to visit Columbus?

Our two travel scores rate September for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.4
Sightseeing
6th-best month of the year
7.2
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

September is a reasonable time to visit Columbus for sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Columbus in September

From September's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In September, Columbus sees daytime highs around 86°F and nights near 66°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: sun protection. About 8 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Columbus in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 8 — 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 July 13 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJul 13UV 10Dec 19UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr8Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep8Very high
Oct5High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Columbus in September

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where September falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Columbus is worst in July — around 21 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 3.3× the cleanest month (January, 6 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodJul 1720 µg/m³Jan 116 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan6Good
Feb8Good
Mar11Good
Apr10Good
May13Moderate
Jun17Moderate
Jul21Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep13Moderate
Oct10Good
Nov8Good
Dec7Good
Location & terrain

Where is Columbus?

Columbus sits at 33.5°N, 88.4°W, 217 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Starkville, 23 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 157 ft around an average of 180 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 279 ft; within 50 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 784 ft.

The land around Columbus is covered by trees (58%) within 2 miles, trees (69%) within 10 miles, and trees (81%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
157 ft
10 miles
279 ft
50 miles
784 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
September weather nearby: Starkville 23 mi · Northport 52 mi · Tuscaloosa 53 mi · Tupelo 55 mi · Meridian 80 mi · Hueytown 83 mi · Bessemer 85 mi · Oxford 87 mi

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
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

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 (33.4957°, -88.4273°, elevation 217 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. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).