Sheldon Church Ruins · Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0Nights stay kind in Dale each January, milder than in 88% of U.S. towns
High summer brings afternoon highs near 91°. A year here swings 52° from midwinter lows to midsummer highs. By July afternoons alone, it runs hotter than 82% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about February 28; in half of years the first frost comes by December 3.
A year in Dale at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dale’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dale’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Dale feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 279 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 28 and the first by December 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Beaufort Mcas, SC, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dale’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 49 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 118 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Beaufort Mcas, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Dale
40% 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 Beaufort Mcas, SC.
Living with Dale’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
279 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 28 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Dec 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dale from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (69%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dale and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dale yet.
Climates most like Dale’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale, SC | 39° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Tifton, GA | 38° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Macclenny, FL | 41° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Rusk, TX | 38° | 93° | 49" | 0.1" |
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 Dale averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 64% 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 Dale compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dale’s place among South Carolina’s.
Dale weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dale’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Beaufort Mcas, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 39° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 56° |
| February | 63° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 62° |
| March | 69° | 48° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| April | 77° | 55° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| May | 83° | 63° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| June | 88° | 70° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 75° – 83° |
| July | 91° | 73° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| August | 90° | 73° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 68° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 81° |
| October | 78° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 73° |
| November | 69° | 48° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 64° |
| December | 62° | 42° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 43° – 63° |
| Year | 76° | 57° | 48.9" | 0.0" | 118 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 43° to 63°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Dale’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 Dale’s center.
- Snow: Beaufort Mcas, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Beaufort Mcas, 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 Dale’s climate
What is the weather like in Dale?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 39°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 88% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 82% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dale in winter?
January nights average 39°. About 17 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Dale get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Beaufort Mcas, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Dale?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 73°. About 73 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Beaufort Mcas, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Dale?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 28 and the first fall frost by December 3, about 279 frost-free days, at Beaufort Mcas, SC.
What growing zone is Dale in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dale?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Dale getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 64% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dale.
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.