Photo: Phoebe · CC BY-SA 4.0Pawleys Island gets more rain and snow than 92% of U.S. towns: 54 inches of precipitation a year
On a normal July day the thermometer tops out near 89°. Seasons differ by 51°, from the coldest nights to the warmest afternoons. Its January nights stay gentler than in 85% of U.S. towns. For walks and days out, the stretch from March to May and September to November brings highs of 66–83°.
A year in Pawleys Island at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Pawleys Island’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Pawleys Island’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Pawleys Island feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 247 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 18 and the first by November 18. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Brookgreen Gardens, SC, 7 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Pawleys Island’s center in zone 8b: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 19°. 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 54 inches of rain a year
August is the wettest month and November the driest.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Pawleys Island
55% of the work is heating. 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 Brookgreen Gardens, SC.
Living with Pawleys Island’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
247 frost-free days in zone 8b. The last frost comes by Mar 18 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, September, October and November. 0.1 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Pawleys Island from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (66%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Pawleys Island and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Pawleys Island yet.
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 Pawleys Island averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.8°).
A smaller shift than in 95% 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 Pawleys Island compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Pawleys Island’s place among South Carolina’s.
Pawleys Island weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Pawleys Island’s center. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 37° | 3.5" | 41° – 53° |
| February | 60° | 40° | 3.3" | 42° – 57° |
| March | 66° | 46° | 3.7" | 48° – 63° |
| April | 73° | 54° | 3.3" | 60° – 68° |
| May | 80° | 62° | 3.8" | 68° – 75° |
| June | 86° | 70° | 5.3" | 73° – 82° |
| July | 89° | 73° | 6.3" | 79° – 84° |
| August | 87° | 72° | 6.6" | 77° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 68° | 6.2" | 72° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 57° | 4.6" | 63° – 71° |
| November | 67° | 46° | 3.2" | 52° – 62° |
| December | 60° | 40° | 3.9" | 41° – 61° |
| Year | 74° | 55° | 53.7" |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 41° to 61°. July is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Pawleys 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 Pawleys Island’s center.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Brookgreen Gardens, SC, 7 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 Pawleys Island’s climate
What is the weather like in Pawleys Island?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 37°. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 70% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Pawleys Island in winter?
January nights average 37°. About 31 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 41°.
How hot does it get in Pawleys Island?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 73°. About 39 days a year reach 90° (Brookgreen Gardens, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Pawleys Island?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 18 and the first fall frost by November 18, about 247 frost-free days, at Brookgreen Gardens, SC.
What growing zone is Pawleys Island in?
Zone 8b on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 19°.
What is the best time of year to visit Pawleys Island?
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 Pawleys Island getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 95% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Pawleys 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.