Photo: Townofbluffton · CC BY-SA 3.0Bluffton’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Bluffton at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Bluffton’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Bluffton’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Bluffton feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 270 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 2 and the first by November 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Savannah International Airport, 17 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Bluffton’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 48 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 0.0" in a normal year at Savannah International Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Bluffton
39% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from December through February.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Savannah International Airport.
Living with Bluffton’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
270 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 2 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, October, November and December. 7.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Bluffton from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (80%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Bluffton and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Bluffton yet.
Climates most like Bluffton’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bluffton, SC | 39° | 92° | 48" | 0.0" |
| Tifton, GA | 38° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Rusk, TX | 38° | 93° | 49" | 0.1" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Macclenny, FL | 41° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
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 Bluffton averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Bluffton compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Bluffton’s place among South Carolina’s.
Bluffton weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Bluffton’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Savannah International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 39° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| February | 65° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| March | 71° | 47° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| April | 78° | 54° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| May | 84° | 62° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| June | 89° | 70° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 73° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 72° | 6.2" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 83° |
| September | 86° | 68° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| October | 79° | 58° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| November | 70° | 47° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| December | 63° | 41° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 44° – 64° |
| Year | 77° | 56° | 48.3" | 0.0" | 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 44° to 64°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Bluffton’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 Bluffton’s center.
- Snow: Savannah International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Savannah International Airport, 17 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 Bluffton’s climate
What is the weather like in Bluffton?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 87% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Bluffton in winter?
January nights average 39°. About 21 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Bluffton get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Savannah International Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Bluffton?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 73°. About 81 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Savannah International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Bluffton?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 2 and the first fall frost by November 30, about 270 frost-free days, at Savannah International Airport.
What growing zone is Bluffton in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Bluffton?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Bluffton getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Bluffton.
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.