Photo: CantoV · CC BY-SA 4.0More precipitation falls on Greenville than on 85% of U.S. towns: 51 inches a year
High summer brings afternoon highs near 89°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 76% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.3° higher. Warm coats and heating bills mark the months from December to February, when means dip under 50°.
A year in Greenville at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Greenville’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Greenville’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Greenville feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 250 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 16 and the first by November 20. Day counts come from NOAA’s station at Greenville, SC, 0.9 miles from the city’s center point, at about the same height; frost dates and degree days from Greenville Dwtn Airport, 1.2 miles away.
The 2023 USDA map puts Greenville’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Travelers Rest 2ne, SC, falls mostly in December. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 51 inches a year; August is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 117 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Greenville
57% 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 Greenville Dwtn Airport.
Living with Greenville’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
250 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 16 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 20.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September, October and November. 29 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Greenville from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (59%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 12%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Greenville and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Greenville in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Greenville’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenville, SC | 33° | 89° | 51" | 1.9" |
| Newnan, GA | 33° | 89° | 52" | 1.7" |
| Smithfield, VA | 32° | 89° | 49" | 2.7" |
| Goldsboro, NC | 33° | 90° | 51" | 2.0" |
| Blytheville, AR | 31° | 90° | 50" | 2.9" |
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 Greenville averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.3°).
A smaller 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 Greenville compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Greenville’s place among South Carolina’s.
Greenville weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Greenville’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Travelers Rest 2ne, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 33° | 4.3" | 0.6" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 49° |
| February | 56° | 35° | 4.0" | 0.3" | 9 | 0 | 37° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 41° | 4.5" | 0.3" | 10 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| April | 72° | 48° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 56° – 65° |
| May | 79° | 58° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 64° – 74° |
| June | 86° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| July | 89° | 70° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 76° – 83° |
| August | 87° | 68° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| September | 82° | 62° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 79° |
| October | 72° | 51° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 41° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 57° |
| December | 54° | 35° | 4.6" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 35° – 55° |
| Year | 71° | 51° | 50.5" | 1.9" | 117 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 35° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Greenville’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 Greenville’s center.
- Snow: Travelers Rest 2ne, SC.
- Frost dates, heating and cooling: Greenville Dwtn Airport, 1.2 miles away.
- Freezing nights, 90° and 100° days: Greenville, SC, 0.9 miles from the city’s center point, 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 Greenville’s climate
What is the weather like in Greenville?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 33°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 76% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 73% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Greenville in winter?
January nights average 33°. About 73 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 35°.
How much snow does Greenville get?
About 1.9 inches in a normal winter at Travelers Rest 2ne, SC, most of it in December, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Greenville?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 70°. About 24 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Greenville Dwtn Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Greenville?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 16 and the first fall frost by November 20, about 250 frost-free days, at Greenville Dwtn Airport.
What growing zone is Greenville in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Greenville?
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 Greenville getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 52% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Greenville.
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.