Clearwater’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Clearwater at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clearwater’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clearwater’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Clearwater feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 232 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 9. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Augusta Daniel Fld Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher; frost dates and degree days from Augusta Bush Fld Airport, 10 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clearwater’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 47 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 107 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.8" in a normal year at Augusta Bush Fld Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Clearwater
48% of the work is heating, so air conditioning is the bigger bill. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Augusta Bush Fld Airport.
Living with Clearwater’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
232 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 23 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clearwater from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 13%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clearwater and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Clearwater in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Clearwater’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearwater, SC | 35° | 93° | 47" | 0.8" |
| Lindale, TX | 36° | 93° | 46" | 0.7" |
| Cusseta, GA | 36° | 92° | 50" | 0.5" |
| Laurinburg, NC | 33° | 91° | 45" | 1.1" |
| Texarkana, AR | 34° | 93° | 52" | 2.1" |
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 Clearwater averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Clearwater compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clearwater’s place among South Carolina’s.
Clearwater weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clearwater’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Augusta Bush Fld Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 35° | 4.1" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 54° |
| February | 61° | 38° | 3.7" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 60° |
| March | 69° | 44° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 50° – 64° |
| April | 77° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| May | 84° | 60° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 67° – 78° |
| June | 90° | 68° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 93° | 71° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 79° – 86° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 64° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 81° |
| October | 77° | 53° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| November | 67° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 50° – 61° |
| December | 59° | 37° | 4.2" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 59° |
| Year | 76° | 53° | 46.5" | 0.8" | 107 | 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 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Clearwater’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 Clearwater’s center.
- Snow: Augusta Bush Fld Airport.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Augusta Bush Fld Airport, 10 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Augusta Daniel Fld Airport, 8 miles from the town’s center, 180 ft higher; 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 Clearwater’s climate
What is the weather like in Clearwater?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 81% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 91% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clearwater in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 20 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Clearwater get?
About 0.8 inches in a normal winter at Augusta Bush Fld Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Clearwater?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 71°. About 80 days a year reach 90° and 4 reach 100° (Augusta Bush Fld Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Clearwater?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 232 frost-free days, at Augusta Bush Fld Airport.
What growing zone is Clearwater in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Clearwater?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Clearwater getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clearwater.
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.