Photo: Reginald McDowell · CC BY 2.0July in Nichols runs hotter than in 83% of U.S. towns
The coldest hours of a January night bottom out at 34° on average. Seasons differ by 57°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 82% of U.S. towns. Keep the boiler serviced for the months from December to February, which average under 50°.
A year in Nichols at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Nichols’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Nichols’ place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Nichols feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 233 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Mullins, SC, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Nichols’ center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 17°. 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 90 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.8" in a normal year at Dillon, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Nichols
62% 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 Mullins, SC.
Living with Nichols’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
233 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 26 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 11.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Nichols from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (45%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Nichols and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Nichols yet.
Climates most like Nichols’, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nichols, SC | 34° | 91° | 49" | 0.8" |
| Jackson, GA | 33° | 91° | 49" | 0.6" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
| Lanett, AL | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.1" |
| Wake Village, TX | 34° | 93° | 52" | 2.1" |
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 Nichols averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.1°).
A smaller shift than in 76% 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 Nichols compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Nichols’ place among South Carolina’s.
Nichols weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Nichols’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Dillon, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 34° | 3.4" | 0.7" | 8 | 0 | 40° – 51° |
| February | 60° | 37° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 40° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 42° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 63° |
| April | 76° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 83° | 59° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 4.8" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| July | 91° | 71° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| August | 90° | 70° | 6.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| September | 85° | 64° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 53° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| November | 67° | 42° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 59° | 37° | 3.5" | 0.1" | 8 | 0 | 38° – 60° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 49.4" | 0.8" | 90 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 38° to 60°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Nichols’ 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 Nichols’ center.
- Snow: Dillon, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Mullins, SC, 6 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 Nichols’ climate
What is the weather like in Nichols?
A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 34°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 83% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Nichols in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 52 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Nichols get?
About 0.8 inches in a normal winter at Dillon, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Nichols?
July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 71°. About 50 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Mullins, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Nichols?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 233 frost-free days, at Mullins, SC.
What growing zone is Nichols in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 17°.
What is the best time of year to visit Nichols?
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 Nichols getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 76% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Nichols.
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.