Photo: Evanoco · CC BY-SA 4.0Summer arrives in force in Bethune, hotter than in 84% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 33°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 76% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.1° rise. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Bethune at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bethune’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bethune’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Bethune feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 222 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 29 and the first by November 4. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Bishopville 1ene, SC, 16 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bethune’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 46 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 108 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Hartsville, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bethune
59% 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 Bishopville 1ene, SC.
Living with Bethune’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
222 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 29 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 4.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 1.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bethune from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (32%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bethune and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bethune yet.
Climates most like Bethune’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethune, SC | 33° | 91° | 46" | 0.5" |
| Eatonton, GA | 33° | 92° | 47" | 0.6" |
| Rocky Mount, NC | 30° | 90° | 47" | 0.7" |
| Hugo, OK | 31° | 93° | 49" | 0.3" |
| Stuttgart, AR | 33° | 91° | 50" | 3.3" |
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 Bethune averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
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 Bethune compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bethune’s place among South Carolina’s.
Bethune weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bethune’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Hartsville, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 33° | 3.6" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 38° – 50° |
| February | 59° | 35° | 3.4" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 41° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 63° |
| April | 76° | 49° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 67° |
| May | 82° | 58° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 65° – 76° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 70° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 69° | 5.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 84° | 63° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| November | 66° | 40° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 35° | 3.8" | 0.1" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 58° |
| Year | 74° | 51° | 46.0" | 0.5" | 108 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Bethune’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 Bethune’s center.
- Snow: Hartsville, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Bishopville 1ene, SC, 16 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 Bethune’s climate
What is the weather like in Bethune?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 84% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bethune in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 60 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Bethune get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Hartsville, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bethune?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 63 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Bishopville 1ene, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Bethune?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 29 and the first fall frost by November 4, about 222 frost-free days, at Bishopville 1ene, SC.
What growing zone is Bethune in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bethune?
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 Bethune 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 Bethune.
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.