Columbus weather in February

In February, Columbus sees average daytime highs of 37°F and overnight lows near 18°F, with 1.0 in of precipitation across 5 wet days and about 10.3 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 34°F in the first days to 40°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in February, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 48 min at the start of February to 10 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, February is Columbus's 9th-clearest and 6th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Columbus's year-round climate.

Daytime high
37°
10th warmest
Overnight low
18°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
1.0 in
5 wet days
Daylight
10 h 18 min
7:34 AM – 5:54 PM
Cloud cover
56%
9th clearest
Wind
10 mph
6th windiest
Solar energy
3.32 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Columbus is city in and county seat of Platte County, Nebraska, United States.

Density
831/km²
people per km²
Founded
1856

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

Temperature in February

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 34°F in the first days to 40°F by the end.

A typical February day in Columbus reaches about 37°F in the afternoon and slips back to 18°F overnight — a 19°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 18°F and 56°F. Set against its neighbours, February runs about 4°F warmer than January and about 12°F cooler than March.

20°40°60°151015202528
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
13416
23416
33516
43516
53516
63516
73517
83517
93617
103617
113617
123618
133718
143718
153719
163819
173819
183819
193819
203920
213920
223920
234020
244020
254021
264021
274121
284122

How February really feels in Columbus

Once humidity and wind are folded in, February averages 0 days that feel above 90°F and 28 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
28
28 feel bitter (≤ 14°F)

The story in February is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Columbus weather by month

How February compares with the rest of the year at a glance. February is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan33° / 15°0.94.43.79.30.0
Feb37° / 18°1.05410.30.0
Mar49° / 29°2.07.42.811.72.2
Apr61° / 40°3.510.21.613.15.0
May71° / 51°5.112.4014.36.3
Jun82° / 62°4.410.8014.96.1
Jul86° / 66°2.78.4014.75.4
Aug83° / 64°3.18.8013.76.1
Sep77° / 55°2.67.1012.37.5
Oct63° / 42°2.36.90.610.96.1
Nov49° / 29°1.54.91.89.72.2
Dec36° / 19°1.24.63.79.10.0

Cloud cover in February

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 37% of the time in February.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of February, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 51%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202528
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24951
34951
44951
54951
64951
74951
85050
95050
105050
115050
125050
135050
144951
154951
164951
174951
184951
194951
204951
214951
224951
234951
244951
254951
264951
275050
285149

Chance of precipitation in February

Any precipitationSnow

Columbus gets around 1.0 in of rain and snow over 5 wet days in February. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 18% and peaks near 20% on the wettest days, and about 4 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202528
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11514
21514
31514
41514
51514
61514
71514
81514
91614
101614
111614
121714
131714
141814
151914
161914
171914
182014
192014
202014
212014
222014
232014
242014
252014
262014
272013
282013

Humidity in February

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, February lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202528
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100

Wind in February

Winds average 10 mph in February.

Across February, daily wind ranges from about 10 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202528
Wind speed (mph)Feels
110light breeze
210light breeze
310light breeze
410light breeze
510light breeze
610light breeze
710light breeze
810light breeze
910light breeze
1010light breeze
1110light breeze
1210light breeze
1310light breeze
1410light breeze
1510light breeze
1610light breeze
1710light breeze
1810light breeze
1910light breeze
2010light breeze
2110light breeze
2210light breeze
2310light breeze
2410light breeze
2510light breeze
2610light breeze
2710light breeze
2810light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in February

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 48 min at the start of February to 10 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 66 minutes over February. Sunrise moves from 7:49 AM to 7:16 AM, and sunset from 5:37 PM to 6:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202528
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.87:495:37
29.87:485:38
39.97:475:39
49.97:465:41
59.97:455:42
610.07:445:43
710.07:435:44
810.17:425:46
910.17:415:47
1010.17:405:48
1110.27:395:49
1210.27:375:51
1310.37:365:52
1410.37:355:53
1510.37:345:54
1610.47:325:56
1710.47:315:57
1810.57:305:58
1910.57:285:59
2010.67:276:01
2110.67:266:02
2210.67:246:03
2310.77:236:04
2410.77:216:05
2510.87:206:07
2610.87:196:08
2710.97:176:09
2810.97:166:10

Solar energy in February

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in February, about 3.32 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.97 kWh/m² to a high of 6.72 kWh/m² in July across the year — February's 3.32 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

01234151015202528
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.8Moderate
22.8Moderate
32.9Moderate
42.9Moderate
53.0Moderate
63.0Moderate
73.0Moderate
83.1Moderate
93.1Moderate
103.1Moderate
113.2Moderate
123.2Moderate
133.3Moderate
143.3Moderate
153.3Moderate
163.4Moderate
173.4Moderate
183.5Moderate
193.5Moderate
203.5Moderate
213.6Moderate
223.6Moderate
233.7Moderate
243.7Moderate
253.8Moderate
263.8Moderate
273.9Moderate
283.9Moderate
Planning a trip in February

Hazard calendar for Columbus

In seasonPeak

None of Columbus's seasonal hazards are active in February. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Columbus's rainy season runs April–October, when most of the year's rain falls.

Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is February a good time to visit Columbus?

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

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

February is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Columbus.

What to pack for Columbus in February

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

In February, Columbus sees daytime highs around 37°F and nights near 18°F. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 5 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Columbus in February

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in February peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Columbus peaks around June 22 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 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJun 22UV 9Dec 22UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May6High
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug7High
Sep6High
Oct5Moderate
Nov3Moderate
Dec2Low
Location & terrain

Where is Columbus?

Columbus sits at 41.4°N, 97.4°W, 1,447 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is Norfolk, 42 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 82 ft around an average of 1,450 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 312 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,024 ft.

The land around Columbus is covered by artificial surfaces (32%), grassland (25%) and trees (21%) within 2 miles, cropland (67%) within 10 miles, and cropland (80%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
82 ft
10 miles
312 ft
50 miles
1,024 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
February weather nearby: Norfolk 42 mi · Fremont 45 mi · Lincoln 57 mi · Grand Island 62 mi · Papillion 71 mi · La Vista 71 mi · Omaha 75 mi · Hastings 79 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 (41.4297°, -97.3684°, elevation 1,447 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. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).