What is the hottest day ever recorded in Columbia?

Columbia's hottest day on record reached 109°F, set on June 29, 2012. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 33°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 76°F, which is why a day like it stands out as genuinely rare rather than just a hot afternoon.

What is the record high temperature in Columbia?

The all-time record high in Columbia is 109°F, recorded on June 29, 2012. Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station's full daily history, so this is the hottest single day the station has ever logged — not a typical summer peak.

What is the coldest day ever recorded in Columbia?

Columbia's coldest day on record bottomed out at -1°F, set on January 21, 1985. Like the record high, it comes from the station's full daily record, so it captures the most extreme cold the area has recorded rather than an average winter low.

What is the record low temperature in Columbia?

The all-time record low in Columbia is -1°F, recorded on January 21, 1985. The gap between that and the 109°F record high — a span of 110°F — is the full range of temperatures Columbia has experienced across its long-term daily record.

Is it normal to be this hot in Columbia?

It depends on how far above Columbia's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 76°F; the all-time record of 109°F (set 2012) sits about 33°F above that. When a live reading is available, the live readout just below the record high and low compares it with the temperature typical for that hour this month (estimated from the month's normal high and low), so you can see how unusual the day is rather than guessing.

When did Columbia set its temperature records?

Columbia's record high of 109°F was set in 2012 (June 29, 2012), and its record low of -1°F in 1985 (January 21, 1985). Both are pulled from the station's full daily record going back to 1948, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.

Has Columbia been getting hotter?

Yes — Columbia's annual mean temperature has trended about 2.2°F warmer since 1948 (+0.29°F per decade, fitted to the complete years of 1948–2025). That gradual shift in the average is separate from the all-time records above, which mark the single most extreme days rather than the trend, but a warming baseline is part of why recent years more often brush up against the record-high end.

Columbia, South Carolina Weather Records

The hottest and coldest days Columbia has ever recorded — and how today compares to normal

Columbia’s all-time temperature records

Hottest day on record: 109°Fset June 29, 2012
Coldest day on record: -1°Fset January 21, 1985

That is a 110°F span between the hottest and coldest days Columbia has ever recorded — the full range of what its weather has done across the station’s record back to 1948.

Columbia, SC · Today vs. normal

8°F above typical for 6:00 PM on Sep 20

At 6:00 PM EDT on Sep 20 it was 90°F in Columbia — 8° above the 82°F typical for that hour (estimated from the Sep 20 normal high of 84°F and low of 63°F, interpolated from the monthly normals).

How extreme Columbia’s weather gets

Columbia’s weather is usually mild by its own standards — a typical year averages a daily high near 76°F, and the normal high for September runs about 86°F. The records sit well outside that everyday range. The hottest day on record reached 109°F in 2012 — roughly 33°F above a typical year’s average high, the kind of gap that turns an ordinary summer into a genuine heat event.

At the other end, Columbia has bottomed out at -1°F (1985). Those edges are why the today-versus-normal readout above is worth a glance: it shows where today falls between the normal and the record, so a hot afternoon can be judged against the real history rather than a hunch. A reading a few degrees over the September normal is ordinary; one pushing toward the 109°F record is the rare event the record marks.

Frequently asked

What is the hottest day ever recorded in Columbia?: Columbia's hottest day on record reached 109°F, set on June 29, 2012. That is the single most extreme high in the nearest long-term weather station's full daily record — about 33°F hotter than a typical year's average high of 76°F, which is why a day like it stands out as genuinely rare rather than just a hot afternoon.
What is the record high temperature in Columbia?: The all-time record high in Columbia is 109°F, recorded on June 29, 2012. Records are drawn from the nearest long-term weather station's full daily history, so this is the hottest single day the station has ever logged — not a typical summer peak.
What is the coldest day ever recorded in Columbia?: Columbia's coldest day on record bottomed out at -1°F, set on January 21, 1985. Like the record high, it comes from the station's full daily record, so it captures the most extreme cold the area has recorded rather than an average winter low.
What is the record low temperature in Columbia?: The all-time record low in Columbia is -1°F, recorded on January 21, 1985. The gap between that and the 109°F record high — a span of 110°F — is the full range of temperatures Columbia has experienced across its long-term daily record.
Is it normal to be this hot in Columbia?: It depends on how far above Columbia's normal a given day runs. A typical year here averages a daily high near 76°F; the all-time record of 109°F (set 2012) sits about 33°F above that. When a live reading is available, the live readout just below the record high and low compares it with the temperature typical for that hour this month (estimated from the month's normal high and low), so you can see how unusual the day is rather than guessing.
When did Columbia set its temperature records?: Columbia's record high of 109°F was set in 2012 (June 29, 2012), and its record low of -1°F in 1985 (January 21, 1985). Both are pulled from the station's full daily record going back to 1948, so they reflect the true extremes rather than a recent or partial sample.
Has Columbia been getting hotter?: Yes — Columbia's annual mean temperature has trended about 2.2°F warmer since 1948 (+0.29°F per decade, fitted to the complete years of 1948–2025). That gradual shift in the average is separate from the all-time records above, which mark the single most extreme days rather than the trend, but a warming baseline is part of why recent years more often brush up against the record-high end.