Has it been hot enough and wet enough for you this summer?
It seems like Columbus was bogged down this summer with both punishing rain and unrelenting heat. But how does that perception stack up with the data?
According to National Weather Service Wilmington office data, Columbus had above-average heat for every month of summer. Columbus also received above average rain in August, but below average rain in June and July.
The August rainfall totals were boosted by a string of heavy storms, including a derecho and confirmed tornado that hit the South Side of Columbus.
The NWS office in Wilmington confirmed tornadoes struck during severe weather Aug. 15, days after the possible derecho that struck Columbus and Central Ohio on Aug. 11. That storm brought
hurricane-force winds, cut power to tens of thousands of people, caused severe flooding and spawned a tornado in south Columbus. Four inches or more of rain fell during that storm.
Just days later on Aug. Columbusactivated the Franklinton flood wall following another wave of heavy storms on Aug. 20.
Here's how summer totals and averages compared to the historical records:
Rainfall
- June
- Average: 3.89 inches
- 2026: 3.37 inches
- Record: 10.39 inches (2008)
- July
- Average: 4.11 inches
- 2026: 2.46 inches
- Record: 12.36 inches (1992)
- August:
- Average: 3.41 inches
- 2026: 9.94 inches
- Record: 11.46 inches (2003)
Average daily temperature
- June:
- Average: 71.1 degrees
- 2026: 72.1 degrees
- Record: 77.9 degrees (1934)
- July:
- Average: 75.1 degrees
- 2026: 77.7 degrees
- Record: 80.5 degrees (2012)
- August:
- Average: 74.7 degrees
- 2026: 73.4 degrees
- Record: 79.5 degrees (1947)
Cooling (and more rain) in forecast
If you're sick of the heat, general cooling is coming to Columbus in the coming week according to the NWS, with the official start of fall on Sept. 22.
The NWS is forecasting that through Sunday, overnight lows will continue to fall, with lows reaching 52 degrees on Sept. 24.
Highs will be around 70 degrees throughout the week, with the high-water mark this week being Sept. 27 when temperatures are expected to reach around 73 degrees.
The NWS is also forecasting rainfall to persist throughout the early week into Sept. 23, and reported on social media that the latest wave of rain put three to six inches of rainfall over parts of the central Ohio area in recent days.
Cole Behrens covers K-12 education and school districts in central Ohio. Have a tip? Contact Cole at cbehrens@dispatch.com or connect with him on X at @Colebehr_report
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: This Columbus summer was hot and wet, but did it set records?
