The Climatology of Columbia and the surrounding area

The Climatology of Columbia and the surrounding area
Columbia, Missouri, with its interior continental location, experiences moderately cold winters and warm summers that are often humid. There are usually a few days of temperatures below zero during the winter months, but there have been several winters when the temperature did not get this cold. Periods of cold weather are usually interrupted by periods of at least a few mild days. It is not uncommon to find some days with temperatures in the 60s in the midst of the winter months. Some snow falls each winter, but it is very unlikely that a snow cover will persist for more than three weeks. Most of the time when snow does fall, it stays on the ground for less than a week. March is the month in which substantial amounts of snowfall are most likely. Temperatures of l00 degrees or more occur in most summers, but there have been several summers when temperatures failed to reach this high. The late spring and early summer months produce more frequent and larger amounts of rain than the other months of the year. Thus, in addition to being warm, these months are often quite humid. By late summer smaller amounts of rain fall and rains occur less frequently, so by midBAugust, the moisture in the top 2 feet of soil is often depleted. The average occurrence of the last temperature as cold as 32 degrees in spring is early April, and the first 32 degree temperature in the fall occurs in late October.

The Climatology of Columbia and the surrounding area

Columbia, Missouri, with its interior continental location, experiences moderately cold winters and warm summers that are often humid. There are usually a few days of temperatures below zero during the winter months, but there have been several winters when the temperature did not get this cold.

Periods of cold weather are usually interrupted by periods of at least a few mild days. It is not uncommon to find some days with temperatures in the 60s in the midst of the winter months. Some snow falls each winter, but it is very unlikely that a snow cover will persist for more than three weeks. Most of the time when snow does fall, it stays on the ground for less than a week.

March is the month in which substantial amounts of snowfall are most likely. Temperatures of l00 degrees or more occur in most summers, but there have been several summers when temperatures failed to reach this high. The late spring and early summer months produce more frequent and larger amounts of rain than the other months of the year. Thus, in addition to being warm, these months are often quite humid.

By late summer smaller amounts of rain fall and rains occur less frequently, so by midBAugust, the moisture in the top 2 feet of soil is often depleted. The average occurrence of the last temperature as cold as 32 degrees in spring is early April, and the first 32 degree temperature in the fall occurs in late October.