Precipitation in Briarcliffe Acres tops that of 89% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
In January the night’s low is typically 37°. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 84% of U.S. towns. Decade by decade the climate has edged up, 0.9° above 1901–2000. Garden planting can start around March 13; autumn frost returns near November 20.
A year in Briarcliffe Acres at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Briarcliffe Acres’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Briarcliffe Acres’ place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Briarcliffe Acres feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 255 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 13 and the first by November 20. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at N Myrtle Bch Airport, 2.1 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Briarcliffe Acres’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 52 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 127 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Longwood, NC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Briarcliffe Acres
54% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from December 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 N Myrtle Bch Airport.
Living with Briarcliffe Acres’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
255 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 13 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 20.
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 Briarcliffe Acres from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (78%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Briarcliffe Acres and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Briarcliffe Acres in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Briarcliffe Acres’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Briarcliffe Acres, SC | 37° | 88° | 52" | 0.5" |
| Washington, NC | 35° | 89° | 53" | 1.2" |
| Decatur, GA | 33° | 89° | 53" | 0.5" |
| Anniston, AL | 33° | 89° | 56" | 0.1" |
| Carrollton, VA | 32° | 89° | 49" | 2.7" |
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 Briarcliffe Acres averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 83% 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 Briarcliffe Acres compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Briarcliffe Acres’ place among South Carolina’s.
Briarcliffe Acres weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Briarcliffe Acres’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Longwood, NC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 52° |
| February | 59° | 39° | 3.3" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 41° – 57° |
| March | 65° | 45° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 48° – 62° |
| April | 72° | 53° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| May | 79° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| June | 85° | 70° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 88° | 73° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 72° | 6.7" | 0.0" | 14 | 0 | 77° – 83° |
| September | 83° | 67° | 6.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 75° | 56° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 62° – 71° |
| November | 66° | 45° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 51° – 61° |
| December | 59° | 39° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 39° – 60° |
| Year | 73° | 55° | 52.1" | 0.5" | 127 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Briarcliffe Acres’ 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 Briarcliffe Acres’ center.
- Snow: Longwood, NC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: N Myrtle Bch Airport, 2.1 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 Briarcliffe Acres’ climate
What is the weather like in Briarcliffe Acres?
A typical July afternoon reaches 88°, a January night drops to 37°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 69% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Briarcliffe Acres in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 34 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How much snow does Briarcliffe Acres get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Longwood, NC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Briarcliffe Acres?
July, with a typical high of 88° and a low of 73°. About 21 days a year reach 90° (N Myrtle Bch Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Briarcliffe Acres?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 13 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 255 frost-free days, at N Myrtle Bch Airport.
What growing zone is Briarcliffe Acres in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Briarcliffe Acres?
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 Briarcliffe Acres getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 83% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Briarcliffe Acres.
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.