Columbus weather in November
November in Columbus: cold, a little rain, with clean air — a good time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#9 of 12 months in Columbus · #1023 of 1413 destinations to visit in November · comfort 62/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 11°C
- Nights
- 1°C
- Wet days
- 8
- Sun
- 6.2 h
- Humidity
- 70%
- Daylight
- 10 h
Traveller notes on Columbus in November
Other months in Columbus
Columbus forum discussions describe January as sharing the same genuinely unpredictable pattern as the rest of Ohio, with posters noting winters here can bring snow as early as October in some years and consistently cold conditions through the season, while other stretches turn unexpectedly mild and rainy around 65F with little warning either way. A recurring theme across the wider Ohio threads was grey, hovering-near-freezing days as the most common baseline, punctuated by real cold snaps and occasional milder breaks. The consistent advice was to pack real layers and not commit too firmly to a single expected temperature, since posters were clear there's genuinely no telling which way a given Columbus January week will go.
Columbus forum regulars describe March with the same phrase that comes up across Ohio: wildly unpredictable, with real possibilities of “snow, sleet, freezing rain, or warmer, nicer days” inside the same week. Average daytime readings sit “about 50°F,” but the state has seen significant March snow historically, and southern Ohio tends to run slightly milder than Columbus itself if the forecast is close. Standard packing: a padded jacket, real layers, hat, scarf, genuinely waterproof gloves. The Franklin Park Conservatory's orchid exhibit gets called out specifically as worth the trip regardless of weather, alongside German Village, the Short North, COSI, the zoo, and Hocking Hills if the hiking window opens up. Our record: 11.9°C days, 1.5°C nights, 13 rain days and 3.3cm of snow — cool and genuinely wet, matching the “wildly unpredictable” read.
Columbus's own Tripadvisor weather page places September in the shoulder season between summer's humidity and the region's cold winters — mild days, cooler nights. Regulars on the broader Ohio forum echo the same pattern as neighboring Cincinnati and Cleveland: pleasant but genuinely changeable, worth packing layers regardless of the forecast.
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Columbus climate normals — November
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Columbus in November
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Peak crowdsOhio State football Saturdays, Zoo Wildlights, Thanksgiving break in United States(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Columbus's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherColumbus's best weather comes in May, June and September — separate windows, not one continuous season.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Columbus in November
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Season
Ohio State football Saturdays
28 Aug – 30 Nov · usuallyCrowdedBook earlyOn seven or eight autumn Saturdays a hundred thousand people fill the Horseshoe and the whole city wears scarlet. Hotel rates for those weekends are set a year out; the Michigan game at the end of November is the extreme. Source ↗
- Nature
Fall colour
10 Oct – 5 Nov · usuallyAutumn colourCentral Ohio turns in the third and fourth weeks of October, and the Hocking Hills gorges an hour southeast are where people drive for it. Weekday mornings are the only time those trailheads have parking.
- Holiday
Zoo Wildlights
20 Nov – 5 Jan · usuallyChristmas & New YearCrowdedBook earlyThe zoo strings several million lights and stays open into the evening from late November to the new year. Weekend slots need booking, and the animals mostly ignore the whole thing. Source ↗
- Holiday
Thanksgiving
25–29 NovNational holidayCrowdedClosuresThanksgiving, the fourth Thursday of November, is the country's biggest travel holiday: airports and highways are at their busiest on the Wednesday before and the Sunday after, and on the day itself offices, banks and many shops close. Source ↗
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Columbus — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Columbus?
Columbus in November — FAQ
- Is November a good time to visit Columbus?
- November in Columbus: cold, a little rain, with clean air — a good time to visit. It ranks #9 of 12 months for Columbus on SeasonMap's comfort score (62/100).
- What is the weather like in Columbus in November?
- In November, Columbus averages a daily high of 11.3°C and a low of 0.7°C, with about 74.9 mm of rain over roughly 7.8 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Columbus in November?
- Columbus has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 30 in November.
- Does it snow in Columbus in November?
- Columbus sees roughly 3.6 cm of snowfall in November.
Within 300 km: Cincinnati's Fall colour around 12 Oct – 8 Nov, and Pittsburgh's Fall colour around 8 Oct – 2 Nov.