Gray Court-Owings School · Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer afternoons in Gray Court are warmer than in 79% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 33°. No month is much wetter than another: March, the wettest, gets little more than October, the driest. Its January nights stay gentler than in 76% of U.S. towns. Long walks are most pleasant from March to May and September to November, when afternoons reach 63–83°.
A year in Gray Court at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Gray Court’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Gray Court’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Gray Court feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 219 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 1 and the first by November 5. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Laurens, SC, 9 miles from the town’s center, 190 ft lower.
The 2023 USDA map puts Gray Court’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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 85 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Woodruff 5 Nw, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Gray Court
64% 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 Laurens, SC.
Living with Gray Court’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
219 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 5.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 35% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Gray Court from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Gray Court and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Gray Court yet.
Climates most like Gray Court’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gray Court, SC | 33° | 90° | 47" | 0.4" |
| Anderson Creek, NC | 32° | 91° | 47" | 1.1" |
| Rockmart, GA | 32° | 90° | 50" | 0.7" |
| Lanett, AL | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.1" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
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 Gray Court averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 87% 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 Gray Court compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Gray Court’s place among South Carolina’s.
Gray Court weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Gray Court’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Woodruff 5 Nw, 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" | 7 | 0 | 37° – 49° |
| February | 57° | 35° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 39° – 54° |
| March | 65° | 41° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 48° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| May | 81° | 57° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 73° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 88° | 69° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 76° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 62° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 3.6" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 35° | 4.3" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 36° – 55° |
| Year | 73° | 50° | 47.3" | 0.4" | 85 | 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 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Gray Court’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 Gray Court’s center.
- Snow: Woodruff 5 Nw, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Laurens, SC, 9 miles from the town’s center, 190 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 Gray Court’s climate
What is the weather like in Gray Court?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Gray Court in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 80 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 37°.
How much snow does Gray Court get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Woodruff 5 Nw, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Gray Court?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 63 days a year reach 90° and 3 reach 100° (Laurens, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Gray Court?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 1 and the first fall frost by November 5, about 219 frost-free days, at Laurens, SC.
What growing zone is Gray Court in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Gray Court?
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 Gray Court getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 87% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Gray Court.
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.