Mount Carmel A.M.E. Zion Campground · Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer arrives in force in Elgin, hotter than in 80% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 31°. Rain is spread evenly through the year: the wettest month, August, gets little more than the driest, October. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 74% of U.S. towns. Garden planting can start around March 27; autumn frost returns near November 8.
A year in Elgin at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Elgin’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Elgin’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Elgin feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 228 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 27 and the first by November 8. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Pageland, SC, 21 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Elgin’s 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 44 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 84 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.5" in a normal year at Great Falls, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Elgin
59% 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 Pageland, SC.
Living with Elgin’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
228 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 27 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 8.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Elgin from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Elgin and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Elgin yet.
Climates most like Elgin’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elgin, SC | 31° | 91° | 44" | 0.5" |
| Nashville, NC | 30° | 90° | 47" | 0.7" |
| Eatonton, GA | 33° | 92° | 47" | 0.6" |
| Emporia, VA | 29° | 90° | 48" | 1.4" |
| Walnut Ridge, AR | 28° | 90° | 49" | 0.9" |
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 Elgin averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 74% 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 Elgin compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Elgin’s place among South Carolina’s.
Elgin weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Elgin’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Great Falls, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 54° | 31° | 3.8" | 0.3" | 7 | 0 | 37° – 48° |
| February | 58° | 34° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 38° – 55° |
| March | 65° | 40° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 48° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 66° |
| May | 81° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 65° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 91° | 69° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 74° | 50° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 64° | 39° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 56° | 34° | 3.9" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 36° – 56° |
| Year | 73° | 50° | 43.9" | 0.5" | 84 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Elgin’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 Elgin’s center.
- Snow: Great Falls, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Pageland, SC, 21 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 Elgin’s climate
What is the weather like in Elgin?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 31°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 74% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 80% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Elgin in winter?
January nights average 31°. About 50 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Elgin get?
About 0.5 inches in a normal winter at Great Falls, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Elgin?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 69°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Pageland, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Elgin?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 27 and the first fall frost by November 8, about 228 frost-free days, at Pageland, SC.
What growing zone is Elgin 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 Elgin?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Elgin getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 74% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Elgin.
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.