More precipitation falls on Garden City than on 91% of U.S. towns: 53 inches a year
July afternoons average 89°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 84% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 0.7° higher. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 18 to November 18.
A year in Garden City at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Garden City’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Garden City’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Garden City feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 247 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Brookgreen Gardens, SC, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Garden City’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 53 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and April the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Garden City
55% 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 Brookgreen Gardens, SC.
Living with Garden City’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
247 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 18 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 18.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 1.9 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Garden City from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (70%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Garden City and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Garden City 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 Garden City averaged 0.7° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 92% 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 Garden City compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Garden City’s place among South Carolina’s.
Garden City weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Garden City’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 37° | 3.5" | 41° – 52° |
| February | 60° | 39° | 3.2" | 42° – 57° |
| March | 66° | 45° | 3.6" | 48° – 63° |
| April | 73° | 53° | 3.2" | 59° – 67° |
| May | 80° | 61° | 3.9" | 67° – 75° |
| June | 86° | 69° | 5.1" | 73° – 82° |
| July | 89° | 73° | 6.1" | 79° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 72° | 6.4" | 77° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 67° | 6.3" | 72° – 79° |
| October | 76° | 56° | 4.3" | 62° – 71° |
| November | 67° | 45° | 3.3" | 51° – 62° |
| December | 60° | 39° | 3.9" | 40° – 60° |
| Year | 74° | 55° | 52.8" |
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 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Garden City’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 Garden City’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Brookgreen Gardens, SC, 7 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 Garden City’s climate
What is the weather like in Garden City?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 37°. Milder January nights than 84% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Garden City in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 31 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 Garden City?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 73°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Brookgreen Gardens, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Garden City?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 18, about 247 frost-free days, at Brookgreen Gardens, SC.
What growing zone is Garden City in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Garden City?
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 Garden City getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.7° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 92% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Garden City.
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.