Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Nights stay kind in Folly Beach each January, milder than in 89% of U.S. towns
Sunny July days climb to about 90°. The wettest month is August; the driest is November. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 81% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about February 4; in half of years the first frost comes by December 30.
A year in Folly Beach at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Folly Beach’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Folly Beach’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Folly Beach feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 321 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 4 and the first by December 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Charleston City, SC, 8 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Folly Beach’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 24°. 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 114 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Charleston International Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Folly Beach
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 Charleston City, SC.
Living with Folly Beach’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
321 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 4 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 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 1.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Folly Beach from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (60%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Folly Beach and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Folly Beach in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Folly Beach’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Folly Beach, SC | 40° | 90° | 49" | 0.3" |
| Moultrie, GA | 39° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Yulee, FL | 43° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Clute, TX | 46° | 91° | 50" | 0.0" |
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 Folly Beach averaged 1.4° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.6°).
A bigger shift than in 52% 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 Folly Beach compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Folly Beach’s place among South Carolina’s.
Folly Beach weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Folly Beach’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Charleston International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 40° | 3.3" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| February | 62° | 43° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| March | 68° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| April | 75° | 56° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 70° |
| May | 82° | 64° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| June | 87° | 71° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 90° | 75° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| August | 89° | 74° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 69° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| October | 78° | 59° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 72° |
| November | 69° | 49° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| December | 62° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 63° |
| Year | 76° | 58° | 49.2" | 0.3" | 114 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 44° to 63°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Folly Beach’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 Folly Beach’s center.
- Snow: Charleston International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Charleston City, SC, 8 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 Folly Beach’s climate
What is the weather like in Folly Beach?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 40°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 89% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 77% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Folly Beach in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 6 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Folly Beach get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Charleston International Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Folly Beach?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 75°. About 25 days a year reach 90° (Charleston City, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Folly Beach?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 4 and the first fall frost by December 30, about 321 frost-free days, at Charleston City, SC.
What growing zone is Folly Beach in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 24°.
What is the best time of year to visit Folly Beach?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Folly Beach getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.4° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A bigger shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Folly Beach.
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.