Photo: Nyttend · Public domainFor weather, South Charleston is about as ordinary as U.S. towns get
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 20°. In July, afternoons here are cooler than in 68% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 1.1° above 1901–2000. Tender plants can go out after about April 24; in half of years the first frost comes by October 18.
A year in South Charleston at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about South Charleston’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with South Charleston’s place in Ohio beside it.
What a year in South Charleston feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 175 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 24 and the first by October 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at London Fish Hatchery, OH, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts South Charleston’s center in zone 6a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about −7°. 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 20 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Sedalia, OH, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 43 inches a year; May is the wettest month and February the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 108 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in South Charleston
89% 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 London Fish Hatchery, OH.
Living with South Charleston’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
175 frost-free days in zone 6a. The last frost comes by Apr 24 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, June, July, August, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in South Charleston from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (58%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →South Charleston and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around South Charleston yet.
Climates most like South 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Charleston, OH | 20° | 83° | 43" | 20" |
| Beaver Falls, PA | 20° | 84° | 41" | 20" |
| Danville, IN | 19° | 84° | 43" | 22" |
| Wytheville, VA | 24° | 83° | 42" | 18" |
| Wheeling, WV | 22° | 84° | 42" | 15" |
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 South Charleston averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.4°).
A smaller shift than in 68% 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 South Charleston compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with South Charleston’s place among Ohio’s.
South Charleston weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at South Charleston’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sedalia, OH. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 36° | 20° | 3.1" | 6.7" | 11 | 11 | 19° – 39° |
| February | 39° | 23° | 2.4" | 5.9" | 8 | 9 | 17° – 40° |
| March | 50° | 31° | 3.6" | 3.8" | 10 | 4 | 33° – 53° |
| April | 63° | 40° | 4.3" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| May | 72° | 50° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 55° – 69° |
| June | 80° | 60° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 73° |
| July | 83° | 63° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 77° |
| August | 82° | 61° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| September | 77° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| October | 65° | 43° | 2.9" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 60° |
| November | 51° | 33° | 3.0" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| December | 40° | 26° | 3.1" | 3.3" | 9 | 6 | 21° – 43° |
| Year | 61° | 42° | 42.6" | 20.4" | 108 | 29 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. February swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 17° to 40°. June is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where South 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 South Charleston’s center.
- Snow: Sedalia, OH.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: London Fish Hatchery, OH, 9 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 South Charleston’s climate
What is the weather like in South Charleston?
A typical July afternoon reaches 83°, a January night drops to 20°, and about 20 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Colder January nights than 57% of U.S. towns; cooler July afternoons than 68% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in South Charleston in winter?
January nights average 20°. About 132 nights a year reach 32° or below and 6 reach 0° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 19°.
How much snow does South Charleston get?
About 20 inches in a normal winter at Sedalia, OH, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 29 days a year.
How hot does it get in South Charleston?
July, with a typical high of 83° and a low of 63°. About 13 days a year reach 90° (London Fish Hatchery, OH).
When is the first and last frost in South Charleston?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 24 and the first fall frost by October 18, about 175 frost-free days, at London Fish Hatchery, OH.
What growing zone is South Charleston in?
Zone 6a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about −7°.
What is the best time of year to visit South Charleston?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, June, July, August, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is South Charleston getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 68% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in South 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.