July in Modoc runs hotter than in 88% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 34°. In January, nights here are milder than in 79% of U.S. towns. December has warmed most since 1901–2000, part of a 0.8° rise. Radiators earn their keep from December to February, the months that average under 50°.
A year in Modoc at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Modoc’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Modoc’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Modoc feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 252 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 15 and the first by November 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Clarks Hill 1 W, SC, 5 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Modoc’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 16°. 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 1 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Johnston 4 Sw, SC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 119 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Modoc
53% of the work is heating. Months averaging under 55° run from November 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 Clarks Hill 1 W, SC.
Living with Modoc’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
252 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 15 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, October and November. 0.8 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Modoc from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (44%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 17%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Modoc and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Modoc yet.
Climates most like Modoc’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Modoc, SC | 34° | 92° | 45" | 1.0" |
| Laurinburg, NC | 33° | 91° | 45" | 1.1" |
| Sulphur Springs, TX | 34° | 94° | 45" | 1.6" |
| Cusseta, GA | 36° | 92° | 50" | 0.5" |
| Hidden Valley Lake, CA | 36° | 92° | 40" | 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 Modoc averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.9°).
A smaller shift than in 88% 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 Modoc compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Modoc’s place among South Carolina’s.
Modoc weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Modoc’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Johnston 4 Sw, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 34° | 4.0" | 0.5" | 12 | 0 | 39° – 52° |
| February | 60° | 37° | 3.9" | 0.1" | 11 | 0 | 41° – 58° |
| March | 68° | 43° | 4.6" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 49° – 63° |
| April | 76° | 50° | 2.9" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 58° – 68° |
| May | 83° | 59° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| July | 92° | 71° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 86° |
| August | 91° | 70° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| September | 85° | 63° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 52° | 2.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| November | 66° | 41° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 58° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.2" | 12 | 0 | 39° – 58° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 44.8" | 1.0" | 119 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 39° to 58°. August is the most reliable, staying within 8°.
Where Modoc’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 Modoc’s center.
- Snow: Johnston 4 Sw, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Clarks Hill 1 W, SC, 5 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 Modoc’s climate
What is the weather like in Modoc?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Modoc in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 57 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Modoc get?
About 1.0 inches in a normal winter at Johnston 4 Sw, SC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 0 days a year.
How hot does it get in Modoc?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 71°. About 82 days a year reach 90° and 6 reach 100° (Clarks Hill 1 W, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Modoc?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 15 and the first fall frost by November 18, about 252 frost-free days, at Clarks Hill 1 W, SC.
What growing zone is Modoc in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 16°.
What is the best time of year to visit Modoc?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Modoc getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.8° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 88% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Modoc.
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.