Charleston’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Charleston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Charleston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Charleston’s place in Mississippi beside it.
What a year in Charleston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 233 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 17 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Lambert 1w, MS, 19 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Charleston’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 14°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 57 inches of rain a year
April is the wettest month and August the driest. Rain falls on about 90 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Lambert 1w, MS, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Charleston
58% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November through March.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Lambert 1w, MS.
Living with Charleston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
233 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 17 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Nov 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Charleston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (29%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 15%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Charleston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Charleston yet.
Climates most like Charleston’s, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston, MS | 34° | 91° | 57" | 0.4" |
| Calera, AL | 33° | 91° | 56" | 0.5" |
| Grambling, LA | 35° | 93° | 57" | 0.4" |
| El Dorado, AR | 34° | 93° | 55" | 0.8" |
| Wrightsboro, NC | 34° | 90° | 58" | 0.2" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Charleston averaged 0.5° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.3°).
A smaller shift than in 98% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Charleston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Charleston’s place among Mississippi’s.
Charleston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Charleston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Lambert 1w, MS. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 34° | 4.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 35° – 50° |
| February | 57° | 37° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 56° |
| March | 66° | 44° | 5.2" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 65° |
| April | 75° | 51° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 60° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 68° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 75° – 85° |
| September | 87° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 71° – 82° |
| October | 76° | 52° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| November | 64° | 42° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 58° |
| December | 55° | 36° | 6.0" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 35° – 54° |
| Year | 74° | 52° | 57.0" | 0.4" | 90 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 54°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Charleston’s numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Charleston’s center.
- Snow: Lambert 1w, MS.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Lambert 1w, MS, 19 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Charleston’s climate
What is the weather like in Charleston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Charleston in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 59 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Charleston get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Lambert 1w, MS, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Charleston?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 86 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Lambert 1w, MS).
When is the first and last frost in Charleston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 17 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 233 frost-free days, at Lambert 1w, MS.
What growing zone is Charleston in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 14°.
What is the best time of year to visit Charleston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Charleston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.5° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 98% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Charleston.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.