Black River Plantation House · Photo: Upstateherd · CC BY-SA 4.0Precipitation in Dunbar tops that of 89% of U.S. towns: 52 inches a year
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 36°. In January, nights here are milder than in 82% of U.S. towns. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 0.7°, most of all in December. Comfortable outdoor weather lasts from March to May and October to November, with highs of 68–83°.
A year in Dunbar at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Dunbar’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Dunbar’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Dunbar feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 240 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 23 and the first by November 15. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Hemingway 8 Ese, SC, 10 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Dunbar’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 18°. 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 52 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Dunbar
56% of the work is heating. 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 Hemingway 8 Ese, SC.
Living with Dunbar’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
240 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 15.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November. 0.3 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Dunbar from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (55%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Dunbar and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Dunbar yet.
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 Dunbar averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 93% 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 Dunbar compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Dunbar’s place among South Carolina’s.
Dunbar weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Dunbar’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59° | 36° | 3.5" | 41° – 53° |
| February | 62° | 38° | 3.3" | 42° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 44° | 3.6" | 49° – 63° |
| April | 76° | 51° | 3.4" | 60° – 68° |
| May | 83° | 59° | 3.7" | 68° – 75° |
| June | 88° | 68° | 5.4" | 73° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 6.1" | 79° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 70° | 6.4" | 77° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 65° | 5.7" | 72° – 79° |
| October | 77° | 54° | 4.3" | 62° – 70° |
| November | 68° | 44° | 3.1" | 51° – 61° |
| December | 61° | 38° | 3.8" | 40° – 61° |
| Year | 75° | 53° | 52.3" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 40° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Dunbar’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 Dunbar’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Hemingway 8 Ese, SC, 10 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 Dunbar’s climate
What is the weather like in Dunbar?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 36°. Milder January nights than 82% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Dunbar in winter?
January nights average 36°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How hot does it get in Dunbar?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 43 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Hemingway 8 Ese, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Dunbar?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 23 and the first fall frost by November 15, about 240 frost-free days, at Hemingway 8 Ese, SC.
What growing zone is Dunbar in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 18°.
What is the best time of year to visit Dunbar?
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 Dunbar getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 93% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Dunbar.
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.