Year is running four inches wet as fall rains loom
Will fall and winter be wetter than normal in Columbus?
A strong El Niño in the Pacific is favoring above-normal rainfall across the region during the October through December period.
NOAA seasonal rainfall outlook for the months ahead. Map: CNAW 2, built from NOAA data on a USGS base.
The viewing area has picked up 40.29 inches of rain so far this year, running about four and a quarter inches ahead of the normal pace through this date. That surplus matters because a strong El Niño is now in place across the Pacific, and the historical record suggests what comes next.
When El Niño strengthens the subtropical jet stream across the southern United States, it typically ushers in a wetter and often cooler cold season along the Gulf South. That means more storm systems crossing the region and a raised risk of severe weather in the Gulf states during the months ahead.
The seasonal outlook for October through December shows a 40 percent probability of above-normal precipitation across our area. That would add to what's already shaping up to be a damp year. The temperature outlook for that same period leans toward above normal with a 33 percent probability, though January through March is expected to track closer to normal.
Right now in Columbus, Georgia
81°Temperature
74°Dew point
79%Humidity
3 mphWind — east
29.94"Pressure
The next seven days
Day
High
Low
Rain
Conditions
TODAY
94°
72°
14%
Sunny
TUE
94°
71°
15%
Mostly Sunny
WED
91°
68°
26%
Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
THU
85°
63°
12%
Mostly Sunny
FRI
84°
62°
3%
Sunny
SAT
87°
61°
0%
Sunny
SUN
86°
60°
5%
Mostly Sunny
Written by the CNAW 2 weather desk from CNAW 2 weather desk data. Last updated September 21, 2026 at 11:17 AM Eastern. Covering Columbus and Phenix City, Auburn–Opelika, LaGrange, Eufaula and the rest of the 19-county CNAW viewing area.
