Columbus weather in September

In September, Columbus sees average daytime highs of 77°F and overnight lows near 55°F, with 2.6 in of rain across 7.1 wet days and about 12.3 hours of daylight. It is the 4th-warmest and 6th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 81°F in the first days to 72°F by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in September, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 hours at the start of September to 11 h 36 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, September is Columbus's 1st-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Columbus's year-round climate.

Daytime high
77°
4th warmest
Overnight low
55°
9th coldest
Rainfall
2.6 in
7.1 wet days
Daylight
12 h 18 min
6:16 AM – 6:32 PM
Cloud cover
39%
1st clearest
Wind
10 mph
7th windiest
Solar energy
4.83 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.5
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 September

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 81°F in the first days to 72°F by the end.

A typical September day in Columbus reaches about 77°F in the afternoon and slips back to 55°F overnight — a 22°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 64°F and 88°F. Set against its neighbours, September runs about 7°F cooler than August and about 13°F warmer than October.

40°60°80°151015202530
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
18261
28260
38160
48160
58159
68059
78058
88058
97958
107957
117857
127856
137856
147755
157755
167655
177654
187654
197553
207553
217552
227452
237451
247451
257350
267350
277349
287249
297249
307148

How September really feels in Columbus

Once humidity and wind are folded in, September averages 0 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
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

September sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Columbus weather by month

How September compares with the rest of the year at a glance. September is the 4th-warmest and 6th-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 September

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 55% of the time in September, the clearest month of the year.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of September, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 31%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17129
27129
37030
47030
57030
67030
76931
86931
96931
106931
116931
126832
136832
146733
156733
166832
176832
186832
196931
206931
216931
226931
236931
246931
256931
266931
276832
286832
296733
306733

Chance of precipitation in September

Any precipitation

Columbus gets around 2.6 in of rain over 7.1 wet days in September. 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 26% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202530
Rain chance (%)
123
223
323
423
523
624
724
824
925
1025
1125
1226
1326
1426
1526
1626
1726
1826
1926
2025
2125
2224
2324
2424
2524
2624
2724
2824
2924
3024

Humidity in September

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, September lands in the dry band about 56% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 11% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202530
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
1242229242
2262228222
3292228201
4312227191
5342226171
6362225161
7392224151
8412222141
9442221131
10462120120
11482119120
12502118110
13522017110
14542016100
15561915100
1658191490
1760181390
1863171280
1963171280
2066161170
2168151070
227114960
237213960
247413850
257612750
267712740
278011630
288111530
298111530
308311420

Wind in September

Winds average 10 mph in September.

Across September, daily wind ranges from about 9 mph on the calmest days to 10 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202530
Wind speed (mph)Feels
19light breeze
29light breeze
39light breeze
49light breeze
59light breeze
69light breeze
79light breeze
89light breeze
99light breeze
109light 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
2910light breeze
3010light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in September

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 hours at the start of September to 11 h 36 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 84 minutes over September. Sunrise moves from 6:00 AM to 6:31 AM, and sunset from 6:58 PM to 6:07 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202530
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.06:006:58
212.96:016:57
312.96:026:55
412.86:036:53
512.86:046:51
612.76:056:50
712.76:066:48
812.66:076:46
912.66:086:44
1012.66:096:43
1112.56:106:41
1212.56:116:39
1312.46:126:37
1412.46:146:36
1512.36:156:34
1612.36:166:32
1712.26:176:30
1812.26:186:28
1912.16:196:27
2012.16:206:25
2112.06:216:23
2212.06:226:21
2311.96:236:19
2411.96:246:18
2511.86:256:16
2611.86:266:14
2711.86:276:12
2811.76:286:11
2911.76:296:09
3011.66:316:07

Solar energy in September

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in September, about 4.83 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 — September's 4.83 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202530
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.4Bright
25.4Bright
35.4Bright
45.3Bright
55.3Bright
65.2Bright
75.2Bright
85.1Bright
95.1Bright
105.0Bright
115.0Bright
124.9Bright
134.9Bright
144.8Bright
154.8Bright
164.8Bright
174.7Bright
184.7Bright
194.6Bright
204.6Bright
214.5Bright
224.5Bright
234.5Bright
244.4Bright
254.4Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.3Bright
294.2Bright
304.2Bright
Planning a trip in September

Hazard calendar for Columbus

In seasonPeak

In September, Columbus sits inside its rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

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 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).

7.5
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.5
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

September is one of the better times to visit Columbus for general 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 77°F and nights near 55°F. Worth packing: light clothes and sun protection. About 7 days see rain.

light clothessun protection

UV index in Columbus in September

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in September peaks around 6 — 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 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
September 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).