Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Forensics
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Hurricane watch issued as Melissa churns in the Caribbean. See the track. Chevron right

Columbus, OH

48°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

48°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast® Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Forensics

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars
Freeze Watch

News / Weather News

'Dead' heat across the country is raising cooling costs

By John Roach, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Oct 4, 2019 8:59 PM EDT

Copied

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 31: Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Norman Reedus at The Walking Dead Super Bowl Party on January 31, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. Credit: Walik Goshorn/MediaPunch /IPX

The Walking Dead and the show’s shuffling zombies return for Season 10 on Sunday, as fans long awaiting its return already know. It would be understandable, however, if residents of Georgia, where the show is recorded, felt like the walking dead all summer, scuffling along in the unrelenting southern heat. 

On Friday Oct. 4, Atlanta broke the city’s record for most 90-degree days in one year with its 91st day. The old record of 90 was first set in 1980 and then equaled in 2011, based on records going back to 1930. 

This week was particularly brutal throughout the country as more than 30 cities set new all-time daily high temperatures for the month of October. Birmingham even reached 103 F on Wednesday, which was the hottest day of the year for the city. Birmingham’s daily high temperature hasn’t been below 88 degrees since August 29 and it has had 106 days of daily high temperatures of at least 90 F. The city’s record is 110, set in 1925. 

The heat and high temperatures have raised significantly the estimated cooling costs in a number of major U.S. cities, according to an AccuWeather analysis. 

Atlanta (39.5% higher), Cincinnati (35.7%), Boston (35.2%), Norfolk, Virginia (33.8%) and Washington, D.C. (32.4%) have experienced substantially higher estimated cooling costs compared to normal for the period from May 1 through October 3. 

Other cities with higher-than-normal temperatures and the resulting higher estimated costs for cooling include Indianapolis (28.5%), Birmingham (28.1%) and Philadelphia (24.5%). 

“A roller-coaster-like jet stream pattern across the country is to blame for the summerlike heat across a wide swath of the eastern United States,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said. 

The extended hot spell across the southern United States is forecasted to break as more seasonable October weather moves in next week, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.

The cooling season, which typically begins May 1, can last until late in the year in many U.S. cities The costs of cooling, including electricity, vary from year to year and from place to place, so the percentage change in your bill may vary from these percentages. 

Download the free AccuWeather app to see the forecast for your location. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.

Report a Typo
Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.
Comments
Hide Comments

Weather News

Weather Forecasts

Series of storms, including an atmospheric river to blast Northwest US

Oct. 22, 2025
video

Early Utah snowfall covers red rocks in white

Oct. 18, 2025
video

Weather helps boost pumpkin harvest

Oct. 21, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Hurricane

Melissa to become major hurricane in Caribbean with intense wind, rain

10 minutes ago

Severe Weather

One dead, nine seriously injured after tornado strikes Paris suburb

1 day ago

Severe Weather

Storms to bring severe weather, flash flood threat in multiple states

4 hours ago

Severe Weather

Louisiana teen dies after lightning strike, 20th death of 2025

1 day ago

Weather Forecasts

Series of storms, including an atmospheric river to blast Northwest US

1 minute ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Travel

United flight’s window may have been struck by weather balloon

8 hours ago

Weather News

Polar bears take over abandoned island in Russia

2 days ago

Weather News

Which season is the wettest by region?

4 hours ago

Recreation

Runner wrestles bear in Japanese woods: ‘In one bite my arm was done’

2 days ago

Astronomy

Sunlight on demand: the satellites that could brighten our nights

2 days ago

AccuWeather Weather News 'Dead' heat across the country is raising cooling costs
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy™ About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy™ About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information | Data Sources

...

...

...