Photo: Excel23 · CC BY-SA 4.0Central’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
A year in Central at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Central’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Central’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Central feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 217 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Clemson Univ, SC, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Central’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 Clemson Univ, SC, is heaviest from January through February, about 1 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 50 inches a year; December is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 120 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Central
63% 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 Clemson Univ, SC.
Living with Central’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
217 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 1 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September and October. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Central from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (61%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Central and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Central in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Central’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central, SC | 33° | 89° | 50" | 2.2" |
| Goldsboro, NC | 33° | 90° | 51" | 2.0" |
| Smithfield, VA | 32° | 89° | 49" | 2.7" |
| Blytheville, AR | 31° | 90° | 50" | 2.9" |
| Kennett, MO | 29° | 90° | 51" | 2.9" |
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 Central averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
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 Central compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Central’s place among South Carolina’s.
Central weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Central’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Clemson Univ, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 33° | 4.5" | 0.8" | 11 | 0 | 36° – 49° |
| February | 57° | 35° | 4.2" | 0.8" | 11 | 0 | 38° – 54° |
| March | 64° | 41° | 4.6" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| April | 73° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 80° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| June | 86° | 65° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 72° – 79° |
| July | 89° | 69° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 88° | 68° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 47° – 56° |
| December | 55° | 35° | 4.8" | 0.3" | 11 | 0 | 36° – 55° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 49.9" | 2.2" | 120 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Central’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 Central’s center.
- Snow: Clemson Univ, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Clemson Univ, SC, 5 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 Central’s climate
What is the weather like in Central?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 74% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Central in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Central get?
About 2.2 inches in a normal winter at Clemson Univ, SC, heaviest from January through February, about 1 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Central?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 69°. About 55 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Clemson Univ, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Central?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 3, about 217 frost-free days, at Clemson Univ, SC.
What growing zone is Central 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 Central?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Central 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 Central.
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.