Photo: Locust member · CC BY 4.0January in Hilton Head Island stays gentler than in 90% of U.S. towns
Expect July afternoons of about 90°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on 79% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 1.0° rise. Garden planting can start around March 3; autumn frost returns near December 9.
A year in Hilton Head Island at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Hilton Head Island’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Hilton Head Island’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Hilton Head Island feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 282 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 3 and the first by December 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Beaufort Wwtp, SC, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Hilton Head Island’s center in zone 9b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 25°. 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 118 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.0" in a normal year at Beaufort Mcas, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Hilton Head Island
38% 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 Beaufort Wwtp, SC.
Living with Hilton Head Island’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
282 frost-free days in zone 9b. The last frost comes by Mar 3 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 72 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Hilton Head Island from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (82%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Hilton Head Island and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Hilton Head Island yet.
Climates most like Hilton Head Island’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island, SC | 41° | 90° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Moultrie, GA | 39° | 91° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Macclenny, FL | 41° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Clute, TX | 46° | 91° | 50" | 0.0" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
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 Hilton Head Island averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 77% 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 Hilton Head Island compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Hilton Head Island’s place among South Carolina’s.
Hilton Head Island weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Hilton Head Island’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Beaufort Mcas, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 41° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 58° |
| February | 63° | 44° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 63° |
| March | 69° | 49° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 53° – 66° |
| April | 76° | 56° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| May | 83° | 65° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 70° – 79° |
| June | 88° | 72° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| July | 90° | 74° | 5.7" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| August | 89° | 74° | 6.6" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 70° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| October | 78° | 61° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 75° |
| November | 69° | 50° | 2.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 55° – 66° |
| December | 62° | 44° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 64° |
| Year | 76° | 58° | 48.7" | 0.0" | 118 | 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 64°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Hilton Head Island’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 Hilton Head Island’s center.
- Snow: Beaufort Mcas, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Beaufort Wwtp, SC, 14 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 Hilton Head Island’s climate
What is the weather like in Hilton Head Island?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 41°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 90% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Hilton Head Island in winter?
January nights average 41°. About 13 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Hilton Head Island get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Beaufort Mcas, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Hilton Head Island?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 74°. About 58 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Beaufort Wwtp, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Hilton Head Island?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 3 and the first fall frost by December 9, about 282 frost-free days, at Beaufort Wwtp, SC.
What growing zone is Hilton Head Island in?
Zone 9b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 25°.
What is the best time of year to visit Hilton Head Island?
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 Hilton Head Island getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 77% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Hilton Head Island.
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.