Photo: Akhenaton06 · CC BY-SA 3.0Columbia reaches 100° on about 15 days a year, more than 93% of U.S. towns
On a normal January night the air cools to about 35°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 80% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 1.0° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 22 to November 15.
A year in Columbia at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Columbia’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Columbia’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Columbia feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 239 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 22 and the first by November 15. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Columbia Univ Of Sc, SC, 8 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Sandhill Rsch - Elgin, SC, 7 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Columbia’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 46 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain falls on about 94 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Sandhill Rsch - Elgin, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Columbia
55% of the work is heating. 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 Sandhill Rsch - Elgin, SC.
Living with Columbia’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
239 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 22 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 400 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Columbia from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (50%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Columbia and its neighbors
Cayce the hottest July afternoons (93°, 1° warmer). Differences under a degree are within what the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Columbia’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia, SC | 35° | 92° | 46" | 0.4" |
| Eatonton, GA | 33° | 92° | 47" | 0.6" |
| Lindale, TX | 36° | 93° | 46" | 0.7" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Smithfield, NC | 32° | 91° | 48" | 0.8" |
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 Columbia averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+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. In a city of 147,000 people, part of the change is the city itself: pavement and buildings hold heat (the urban heat island).
How Columbia compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Columbia’s place among South Carolina’s.
Columbia weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Columbia’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Sandhill Rsch - Elgin, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 35° | 3.8" | 0.4" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| February | 61° | 37° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 43° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 51° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 83° | 60° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 68° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 73° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 79° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 70° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| September | 85° | 64° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 53° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| November | 66° | 42° | 3.0" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 59° | 37° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 58° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 46.0" | 0.4" | 94 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Columbia’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 Columbia’s center.
- Snow: Sandhill Rsch - Elgin, SC.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Sandhill Rsch - Elgin, SC, 7 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Columbia Univ Of Sc, SC, 8 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Columbia’s climate
What is the weather like in Columbia?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 35°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 80% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Columbia in winter?
January nights average 35°. About 33 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Columbia get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Sandhill Rsch - Elgin, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Columbia?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 108 days a year reach 90° and 15 reach 100° (Sandhill Rsch - Elgin, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Columbia?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 22 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 239 frost-free days, at Sandhill Rsch - Elgin, SC.
What growing zone is Columbia 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 Columbia?
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 Columbia 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 Columbia.
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.