Berea gets more rain and snow than 94% of U.S. towns: 56 inches of precipitation a year
January nights here settle around 32°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 75% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.2° rise. Central heating does most of its work from December to February, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Berea at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Berea’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Berea’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Berea feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 28 and the first by November 7. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Greenville, SC, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Greer, SC, 14 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Berea’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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Travelers Rest 2ne, SC, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 56 inches a year; August is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Berea
64% 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 Greer, SC.
Living with Berea’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 28 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, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Berea from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 21%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Berea and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Berea in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Berea’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berea, SC | 32° | 89° | 56" | 1.9" |
| Boaz, AL | 32° | 88° | 57" | 0.9" |
| Carrollton, GA | 32° | 89° | 55" | 0.6" |
| Red Bank, TN | 31° | 89° | 56" | 3.6" |
| Half Moon, NC | 33° | 89° | 57" | 0.6" |
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 Berea averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 62% 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 Berea compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Berea’s place among South Carolina’s.
Berea weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Berea’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Travelers Rest 2ne, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 32° | 4.9" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 36° – 48° |
| February | 56° | 35° | 4.3" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 53° |
| March | 63° | 41° | 4.8" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 61° |
| April | 72° | 48° | 4.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 55° – 64° |
| May | 79° | 57° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 63° – 73° |
| June | 85° | 65° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 71° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 68° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 62° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 78° |
| October | 72° | 51° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 66° |
| November | 62° | 40° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 35° | 5.3" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 55° |
| Year | 71° | 50° | 55.6" | 1.9" | 117 | 1 |
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 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Berea’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 Berea’s center.
- Snow: Travelers Rest 2ne, SC.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Greer, SC, 14 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Greenville, SC, 7 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 Berea’s climate
What is the weather like in Berea?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 32°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Berea in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 73 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Berea get?
About 1.9 inches in a normal winter at Travelers Rest 2ne, SC, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Berea?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 24 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Greer, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Berea?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 28 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 224 frost-free days, at Greer, SC.
What growing zone is Berea 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 Berea?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Berea getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 62% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Berea.
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.