First Baptist Church · Photo: Nelson E. Baldwin, Photographer · Public domainCharleston’s winters are colder and snowier than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 80°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
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 New York 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 148 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 9 and the first by October 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Cobleskill 2 Ese, NY, 12 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Charleston’s center in zone 5b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −13°. 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 54 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Cobleskill 2 Ese, NY, falls mostly in January, March and December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 42 inches a year; June is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 140 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Charleston
95% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from October through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Cobleskill 2 Ese, NY.
Living with Charleston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
148 frost-free days in zone 5b. The last frost comes by May 9 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, July, August and September. 37 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Charleston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Charleston and its neighbors
Glen the hottest July afternoons (82°, 3° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
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, NY | 12° | 80° | 42" | 54" |
| Meredith, NH | 11° | 81° | 46" | 62" |
| St. Marys, PA | 16° | 80° | 46" | 53" |
| Augusta, ME | 10° | 80° | 45" | 69" |
| Dodgeville, WI | 10° | 81° | 38" | 41" |
Temperatures and rain come from NOAA’s 5 km grid, so each town gets its own value. Snow and frost-free days come from the nearest weather station, so neighbors often share them.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Charleston averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.9°).
A smaller shift than in 72% 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 New York’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 Cobleskill 2 Ese, NY. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 30° | 12° | 2.7" | 13.7" | 12 | 21 | 10° – 29° |
| February | 33° | 14° | 2.4" | 10.7" | 10 | 20 | 9° – 30° |
| March | 42° | 22° | 3.1" | 12.4" | 11 | 16 | 24° – 43° |
| April | 55° | 33° | 3.5" | 1.5" | 11 | 3 | 37° – 50° |
| May | 68° | 44° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| June | 76° | 53° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| July | 80° | 58° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 72° |
| August | 78° | 57° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| September | 71° | 50° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| October | 59° | 40° | 4.0" | 0.4" | 13 | 0 | 45° – 55° |
| November | 46° | 29° | 3.0" | 1.7" | 10 | 3 | 33° – 44° |
| December | 35° | 19° | 3.2" | 13.1" | 11 | 14 | 19° – 39° |
| Year | 56° | 36° | 41.9" | 53.5" | 140 | 78 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 9° to 30°. August 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: Cobleskill 2 Ese, NY.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Cobleskill 2 Ese, NY, 12 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 80°, a January night drops to 12°, and about 54 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 91% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 92% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Charleston in winter?
January nights average 12°. About 155 nights a year reach 32° or below and 12 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 10°.
How much snow does Charleston get?
About 54 inches in a normal winter at Cobleskill 2 Ese, NY, most of it in January, March and December, with snow on the ground about 78 days a year.
How hot does it get in Charleston?
July, with a typical high of 80° and a low of 58°. About 4 days a year reach 90° (Cobleskill 2 Ese, NY).
When is the first and last frost in Charleston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 9 and the first fall frost by October 4, about 148 frost-free days, at Cobleskill 2 Ese, NY.
What growing zone is Charleston in?
Zone 5b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Charleston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, July, August and September. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Charleston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 72% 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.