Laurel Bay has milder winter nights than 89% of U.S. towns
The warmest part of a July day comes in at 91° on average. Winter and summer sit 50° apart. Summer afternoons here are warmer than in 81% of U.S. towns. Picnics, hikes and garden evenings come into their own from February to May and October to November, with highs of 63–83°.
A year in Laurel Bay at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Laurel Bay’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Laurel Bay’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Laurel Bay feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 279 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by February 28 and the first by December 3. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Beaufort Mcas, SC, 4 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Laurel Bay’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 23°. 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 Laurel Bay
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 Beaufort Mcas, SC.
Living with Laurel Bay’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
279 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Feb 28 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 3.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October and November. 0.2 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Laurel Bay from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (76%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 3%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Laurel Bay and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Laurel Bay in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Laurel Bay’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laurel Bay, SC | 40° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Tifton, GA | 38° | 91° | 49" | 0.0" |
| Macclenny, FL | 41° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Rusk, TX | 38° | 93° | 49" | 0.1" |
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 Laurel Bay averaged 1.1° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 71% 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 Laurel Bay compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Laurel Bay’s place among South Carolina’s.
Laurel Bay weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Laurel Bay’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° | 40° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 57° |
| February | 63° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 46° – 62° |
| March | 69° | 49° | 3.5" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 52° – 66° |
| April | 76° | 56° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 61° – 71° |
| May | 83° | 65° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 79° |
| June | 88° | 72° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| July | 91° | 74° | 5.9" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 86° |
| August | 89° | 74° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 70° | 4.6" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 75° – 82° |
| October | 77° | 60° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| November | 68° | 49° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| December | 62° | 43° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 44° – 64° |
| Year | 76° | 58° | 48.6" | 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 Laurel Bay’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 Laurel Bay’s center.
- Snow: Beaufort Mcas, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Beaufort Mcas, SC, 4 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 Laurel Bay’s climate
What is the weather like in Laurel Bay?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, 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 81% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Laurel Bay in winter?
January nights average 40°. About 17 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 45°.
How much snow does Laurel Bay get?
About 0.0 inches in a normal winter at Beaufort Mcas, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Laurel Bay?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 74°. About 73 days a year reach 90° and 2 reach 100° (Beaufort Mcas, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Laurel Bay?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by February 28 and the first fall frost by December 3, about 279 frost-free days, at Beaufort Mcas, SC.
What growing zone is Laurel Bay in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 23°.
What is the best time of year to visit Laurel Bay?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Laurel Bay getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.1° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 71% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Laurel Bay.
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.