Columbus (WCMH) – After our coolest night since Spring, we are getting a lot of questions of when we will get our first frost/freeze. We are in the window now!
Records go back to 1878, and we have had our first freeze in Columbus as early as September 21st (1962). We had our latest first freeze at the end of November, the 27th (1902)… also Thanksgiving Day.The window for first freezes has started, but peaks from October 17th-October 30th:
According to the National Weather Service in Wilmington, our average first freeze date in Columbus is one of the latest in Central and southern Ohio (October 27th).
The NWS has listed some of our other cities that they have data for, and their first freeze dates:
- Bellefontaine Oct 14th
- Chillicothe Oct 17th
- Circleville Oct 19th
- Delaware Oct 14th
- Kenton Oct 20th
- London Oct 9th
- Marysville Oct 22nd
- Newark Oct 12
- Washington Court House Oct 21st
Below is a list of the frequency of how many times each date has been the first freeze in year:
Note that two dates in October (8,13), and November (16,17) that broke a streak of first freezes.
| date | # of 1st freeze |
| 21-Sep | 1 |
| 29-Sep | 1 |
| 30-Sep | 2 |
| 1-Oct | 1 |
| 2-Oct | 3 |
| 3-Oct | 3 |
| 4-Oct | 2 |
| 5-Oct | 2 |
| 6-Oct | 4 |
| 7-Oct | 2 |
| 8-Oct | 0 |
| 9-Oct | 3 |
| 10-Oct | 3 |
| 11-Oct | 1 |
| 12-Oct | 2 |
| 13-Oct | 0 |
| 14-Oct | 2 |
| 15-Oct | 4 |
| 16-Oct | 3 |
| 17-Oct | 6 |
| 18-Oct | 6 |
| 19-Oct | 3 |
| 20-Oct | 4 |
| 21-Oct | 5 |
| 22-Oct | 1 |
| 23-Oct | 5 |
| 24-Oct | 2 |
| 25-Oct | 5 |
| 26-Oct | 5 |
| 27-Oct | 4 |
| 28-Oct | 6 |
| 29-Oct | 5 |
| 30-Oct | 5 |
| 31-Oct | 1 |
| 1-Nov | 3 |
| 2-Nov | 4 |
| 3-Nov | 4 |
| 4-Nov | 3 |
| 5-Nov | 4 |
| 6-Nov | 1 |
| 7-Nov | 1 |
| 8-Nov | 2 |
| 9-Nov | 3 |
| 10-Nov | 1 |
| 11-Nov | 1 |
| 12-Nov | 1 |
| 13-Nov | 2 |
| 14-Nov | 1 |
| 15-Nov | 2 |
| 16-Nov | 0 |
| 17-Nov | 0 |
| 18-Nov | 1 |
| 23-Nov | 1 |
| 27-Nov | 1 |
Here is a complete list since 1878 of all the first freeze dates for Columbus:
| year | month | date |
| 2015 | oct | 17 |
| 2014 | nov | 2 |
| 2013 | oct | 25 |
| 2012 | oct | 11 |
| 2011 | oct | 29 |
| 2010 | oct | 30 |
| 2009 | oct | 18 |
| 2008 | oct | 22 |
| 2007 | nov | 23 |
| 2006 | oct | 15 |
| 2005 | oct | 29 |
| 2004 | nov | 9 |
| 2003 | oct | 3 |
| 2002 | nov | 1 |
| 2001 | oct | 18 |
| 2000 | oct | 29 |
| 1999 | oct | 25 |
| 1998 | oct | 23 |
| 1997 | oct | 21 |
| 1996 | nov | 2 |
| 1995 | oct | 17 |
| 1994 | oct | 28 |
| 1993 | oct | 23 |
| 1992 | oct | 17 |
| 1991 | oct | 16 |
| 1990 | oct | 26 |
| 1989 | oct | 9 |
| 1988 | oct | 6 |
| 1987 | oct | 4 |
| 1986 | nov | 3 |
| 1985 | nov | 8 |
| 1984 | nov | 2 |
| 1983 | oct | 27 |
| 1982 | oct | 17 |
| 1981 | oct | 3 |
| 1980 | oct | 6 |
| 1979 | oct | 14 |
| 1978 | oct | 17 |
| 1977 | oct | 16 |
| 1976 | oct | 17 |
| 1975 | oct | 3 |
| 1974 | oct | 2 |
| 1973 | nov | 4 |
| 1972 | oct | 19 |
| 1971 | nov | 4 |
| 1970 | oct | 16 |
| 1969 | oct | 15 |
| 1968 | oct | 5 |
| 1967 | oct | 20 |
| 1966 | oct | 21 |
| 1965 | oct | 5 |
| 1964 | oct | 6 |
| 1963 | sep | 30 |
| 1962 | sep | 21 |
| 1961 | sep | 29 |
| 1960 | oct | 21 |
| 1959 | oct | 18 |
| 1958 | oct | 29 |
| 1957 | oct | 20 |
| 1956 | nov | 13 |
| 1955 | oct | 25 |
| 1954 | oct | 20 |
| 1953 | oct | 30 |
| 1952 | oct | 4 |
| 1951 | oct | 9 |
| 1950 | oct | 26 |
| 1949 | oct | 27 |
| 1948 | oct | 18 |
| 1947 | nov | 9 |
| 1946 | nov | 18 |
| 1945 | nov | 3 |
| 1944 | nov | 5 |
| 1943 | nov | 4 |
| 1942 | oct | 26 |
| 1941 | nov | 9 |
| 1940 | nov | 7 |
| 1939 | oct | 15 |
| 1938 | oct | 31 |
| 1937 | oct | 14 |
| 1936 | oct | 27 |
| 1935 | oct | 7 |
| 1934 | oct | 28 |
| 1933 | oct | 26 |
| 1932 | nov | 11 |
| 1931 | nov | 6 |
| 1930 | oct | 19 |
| 1929 | nov | 5 |
| 1928 | oct | 30 |
| 1927 | nov | 5 |
| 1926 | oct | 25 |
| 1925 | oct | 10 |
| 1924 | oct | 23 |
| 1923 | oct | 23 |
| 1922 | nov | 10 |
| 1921 | nov | 3 |
| 1920 | oct | 30 |
| 1919 | nov | 5 |
| 1918 | nov | 2 |
| 1917 | oct | 20 |
| 1916 | nov | 14 |
| 1915 | nov | 15 |
| 1914 | oct | 26 |
| 1913 | oct | 21 |
| 1912 | nov | 1 |
| 1911 | oct | 28 |
| 1910 | oct | 28 |
| 1909 | oct | 12 |
| 1908 | oct | 2 |
| 1907 | oct | 21 |
| 1906 | oct | 10 |
| 1905 | oct | 30 |
| 1904 | oct | 28 |
| 1903 | oct | 24 |
| 1902 | nov | 27 |
| 1901 | oct | 18 |
| 1900 | nov | 8 |
| 1899 | oct | 1 |
| 1898 | oct | 27 |
| 1897 | nov | 12 |
| 1896 | oct | 19 |
| 1895 | oct | 10 |
| 1894 | oct | 15 |
| 1893 | oct | 29 |
| 1892 | oct | 6 |
| 1891 | oct | 23 |
| 1890 | nov | 1 |
| 1889 | oct | 7 |
| 1888 | sep | 30 |
| 1887 | oct | 12 |
| 1886 | oct | 2 |
| 1885 | oct | 9 |
| 1884 | oct | 24 |
| 1883 | nov | 3 |
| 1882 | nov | 13 |
| 1881 | nov | 15 |
| 1880 | oct | 18 |
| 1879 | oct | 25 |
| 1878 | oct | 28 |
If you have any questions about freezes, frosts, cold temps, or any other weather, send me an email: dmazza@wcmh.com
-Dave