diff --git a/ndsl/stencils/column_operations.py b/ndsl/stencils/column_operations.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..21838ea2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ndsl/stencils/column_operations.py
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import typing
+
+from ndsl.dsl.gt4py import function
+
+
+@typing.no_type_check
+@function
+def column_max(field, start_index, end_index):
+    """
+    Find the maximum value for a full or slice of a column.
+
+    Args:
+        field: data to be analyzed
+        start_index: "bottom" index of slice, must be less than end_index
+        end_index: "top" index of slice, must be greater than start_index
+
+        Returns: [max value, index of max value]
+    """
+    max_index = 0
+    level = start_index
+    while level <= end_index:
+        new = field.at(K=level)
+        old = field.at(K=max_index)
+        if new > old:
+            max_index = level
+        level += 1
+
+    return field.at(K=max_index), max_index
+
+
+@typing.no_type_check
+@function
+def column_min(field, start_index, end_index):
+    """
+    Find the minimum value for a full or slice of a column.
+
+    Args:
+        field: data to be analyzed
+        start_index: "bottom" index of slice, must be less than end_index
+        end_index: "top" index of slice, must be greater than start_index
+
+        Returns: [min value, index of min value]
+    """
+    min_index = 0
+    level = start_index
+    while level <= end_index:
+        new = field.at(K=level)
+        old = field.at(K=min_index)
+        if new < old:
+            min_index = level
+        level += 1
+
+    return field.at(K=min_index), min_index
diff --git a/tests/stencils/test_stencils.py b/tests/stencils/test_stencils.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..32b1ade9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/stencils/test_stencils.py
@@ -0,0 +1,90 @@
+import numpy as np
+
+from ndsl import StencilFactory
+from ndsl.boilerplate import get_factories_single_tile
+from ndsl.constants import X_DIM, Y_DIM, Z_DIM
+from ndsl.dsl.gt4py import FORWARD, computation, interval
+from ndsl.dsl.typing import FloatField, FloatFieldIJ
+from ndsl.stencils.column_operations import column_max, column_min
+
+
+nx = 1
+ny = 1
+nz = 10
+nhalo = 0
+backend = "dace:cpu"
+
+stencil_factory, quantity_factory = get_factories_single_tile(
+    nx, ny, nz, nhalo, backend
+)
+
+
+class ColumnOperations:
+    def __init__(self, stencil_factory: StencilFactory):
+        grid_indexing = stencil_factory.grid_indexing
+
+        def column_max_stencil(
+            data: FloatField, max_value: FloatFieldIJ, max_index: FloatFieldIJ
+        ):
+            from __externals__ import k_end
+
+            with computation(FORWARD), interval(0, 1):
+                max_value, max_index = column_max(data, 0, k_end)
+
+        def column_min_stencil(
+            data: FloatField, min_value: FloatFieldIJ, min_index: FloatFieldIJ
+        ):
+            from __externals__ import k_end
+
+            with computation(FORWARD), interval(0, 1):
+                min_value, min_index = column_min(data, 5, k_end)
+
+        self._column_max_stencil = stencil_factory.from_dims_halo(
+            func=column_max_stencil,
+            compute_dims=[X_DIM, Y_DIM, Z_DIM],
+        )
+        self._column_min_stencil = stencil_factory.from_dims_halo(
+            func=column_min_stencil,
+            compute_dims=[X_DIM, Y_DIM, Z_DIM],
+        )
+
+    def __call__(
+        self,
+        data: FloatField,
+        max_value: FloatFieldIJ,
+        max_index: FloatFieldIJ,
+        min_value: FloatFieldIJ,
+        min_index: FloatFieldIJ,
+    ):
+        self._column_max_stencil(data, max_value, max_index)
+        self._column_min_stencil(data, min_value, min_index)
+
+
+def test_column_operations():
+    data = quantity_factory.zeros([X_DIM, Y_DIM, Z_DIM], "n/a")
+    data.field[:] = [
+        47.3821,
+        2.9157,
+        88.6034,
+        71.9275,
+        53.1412,
+        19.4783,
+        94.2258,
+        36.8099,
+        64.0175,
+        7.3504,
+    ]
+
+    max_value = quantity_factory.zeros([X_DIM, Y_DIM], "n/a")
+    max_index = quantity_factory.zeros([X_DIM, Y_DIM], "n/a")
+    min_value = quantity_factory.zeros([X_DIM, Y_DIM], "n/a")
+    min_index = quantity_factory.zeros([X_DIM, Y_DIM], "n/a")
+
+    code = ColumnOperations(stencil_factory)
+    print("initalized the class")
+    code(data, max_value, max_index, min_value, min_index)
+
+    assert max_value.field[:] == np.max(data.field[:], axis=2)
+    assert max_index.field[:] == np.argmax(data.field[:], axis=2)
+    assert min_value.field[:] == np.min(data.field[:, :, 5:], axis=2)
+    assert min_index.field[:] == 5 + np.argmin(data.field[:, :, 5:], axis=2)