Greenville Presbyterian Church · Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0Afternoon heat in Donalds beats that of 80% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 33°. In January, nights here are milder than in 78% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.9°, most of all in December. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Donalds at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Donalds’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Donalds’ place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Donalds feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 216 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 2. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Greenwood Co Airport, 14 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Donalds’ 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 47 inches of rain a year
March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 101 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at Ware Shoals 2, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Donalds
65% 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 Greenwood Co Airport.
Living with Donalds’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
216 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 2.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 29% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Donalds from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Donalds and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Donalds yet.
Climates most like Donalds’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Donalds, SC | 33° | 91° | 47" | 0.7" |
| Fayetteville, NC | 33° | 91° | 47" | 1.2" |
| Rockmart, GA | 32° | 90° | 50" | 0.7" |
| Stuttgart, AR | 33° | 91° | 50" | 3.3" |
| Lanett, AL | 33° | 91° | 52" | 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 Donalds averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Donalds compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Donalds’ place among South Carolina’s.
Donalds weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Donalds’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Ware Shoals 2, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 33° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| February | 57° | 36° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 39° – 55° |
| March | 65° | 42° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 47° – 63° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 81° | 58° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 88° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| July | 91° | 69° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 69° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 63° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 51° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 41° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 35° | 4.6" | 0.4" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 55° |
| Year | 73° | 51° | 46.8" | 0.7" | 101 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Donalds’ 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 Donalds’ center.
- Snow: Ware Shoals 2, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Greenwood Co Airport, 14 miles from the town’s center, 110 ft lower; 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 Donalds’ climate
What is the weather like in Donalds?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Donalds in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 58 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Donalds get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Ware Shoals 2, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Donalds?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 69°. About 60 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Greenwood Co Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Donalds?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 2, about 216 frost-free days, at Greenwood Co Airport.
What growing zone is Donalds 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 Donalds?
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 Donalds getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Donalds.
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.