The coldest and warmest winters on record in Columbus

If you’ve been personally victimized by a window ice scraper this week, you know it’s winter in Columbus.

We’ve been inside a lot these past days, dodging all the wind chills and freezing temperatures. Thanks to that, we’ve discovered a new Internet rabbit hole: What’s the coldest + warmest winter in CBUS? Come along with us (and bring a jacket).

The coldest winter day

The coldest winter day in Columbus history was on January 19, 1994, according to historical data from the National Weather Service. Temperatures dropped as low as -22°, and wind chills put this around -30°, per a news story that week by The Columbus Dispatch. This arctic freeze is now notorious for the rest of the Buckeye State + many other Midwestern states, including Pennsylvania.

Here are the next four coldest winter days:

• January 6, 1884; January 3, 1899; and February 10, 1899: -20°
• January 19, 1977 and January 20, 1985: -19°
• February 9, 1899; December 22, 1989; and January 17, 1994: -17°
• January 15, 1884: -16°

The warmest winter day

The warmest winter day in Columbus was on February 24, 2017, according to historical data from the National Weather Service. Temperatures soared to 78° with partly cloudy skies and a slight breeze. These unexpected highs caught the eye of weather researchers, as many east coast cities experience a late winter heat wave, such as Boston.

Here are the next four warmest winter days:

• December 3, 1982: 76°
• February 26, 2000: 75°
• January 25, 1950; February 11, 1999; and February 25, 2000: 74°
• December 6, 1989: 73°

Note: Winter for meteorology history is December, January, and February, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.