Year is running four inches wetter than normal in Columbus
Will it be wet this winter in Georgia Alabama
A strong El Niño pattern favours above-normal rainfall from October through December across the CNAW viewing area.
Forecast rainfall over the next six hours. Map: CNAW 2, built from NOAA data on a USGS base.
Columbus has picked up 40.29 inches of rain so far this year, running about four inches ahead of the normal 36.03 inches through late September. That surplus matters because the Pacific Ocean is now in a strong El Niño pattern, which typically strengthens storm systems across the southern United States during the cold season.
Historically, strong El Niño years have meant a wetter and often cooler autumn and winter here in the Gulf South, with more frequent storm systems and a raised risk of severe weather. The seasonal outlook backs that up: there's a 40 percent probability of above-normal precipitation from October through December.
Temperatures in that same window have a 33 percent chance of running above normal. January through March is expected to track closer to normal. For now, the pattern stays unsettled through midweek with slight chances of showers, then dries out for the weekend.
Right now in Columbus, Georgia
86°Temperature
69°Dew point
56%Humidity
4 mphWind — northeast
29.90"Pressure
The next seven days
Day
High
Low
Rain
Conditions
TONIGHT
—
72°
20%
Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms then Mostly Clear
TUE
94°
72°
25%
Patchy Fog then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
WED
91°
69°
24%
Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms
THU
85°
63°
11%
Mostly Sunny
FRI
86°
63°
1%
Sunny
SAT
87°
61°
1%
Sunny
SUN
88°
61°
4%
Mostly Sunny
Written by the CNAW 2 weather desk from CNAW 2 weather desk data. Last updated September 21, 2026 at 8:33 PM Eastern. Covering Columbus and Phenix City, Auburn–Opelika, LaGrange, Eufaula and the rest of the 19-county CNAW viewing area.
