Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0July in Peak runs hotter than in 90% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 34°. Precipitation peaks in August and eases off in April. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 78% of U.S. towns. The frost-free window for a garden runs roughly March 22 to November 11.
A year in Peak at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Peak’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Peak’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Peak feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 234 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 22 and the first by November 11. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Little Mtn, SC, 6 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Peak’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 15°. 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 Little Mtn, SC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 45 inches a year; August is the wettest month and April the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 105 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Peak
56% 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 Little Mtn, SC.
Living with Peak’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
234 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 22 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 Peak from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 16%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Peak and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Peak yet.
Climates most like Peak’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peak, SC | 34° | 93° | 45" | 1.4" |
| Sulphur Springs, TX | 34° | 94° | 45" | 1.6" |
| Durant, OK | 32° | 94° | 43" | 2.0" |
| Anderson Creek, NC | 32° | 91° | 47" | 1.1" |
| Macon-Bibb County, GA | 35° | 92° | 47" | 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 Peak averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 75% 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 Peak compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Peak’s place among South Carolina’s.
Peak weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Peak’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Little Mtn, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 56° | 34° | 3.8" | 0.8" | 10 | 1 | 39° – 51° |
| February | 60° | 36° | 3.6" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 40° – 57° |
| March | 67° | 42° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 50° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 59° – 67° |
| May | 83° | 58° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 66° – 76° |
| June | 89° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 82° |
| July | 93° | 70° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 78° – 85° |
| August | 91° | 69° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| September | 85° | 63° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 60° – 68° |
| November | 65° | 41° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 48° – 59° |
| December | 58° | 35° | 4.0" | 0.2" | 10 | 0 | 37° – 58° |
| Year | 75° | 51° | 44.8" | 1.4" | 105 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 37° to 58°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Peak’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 Peak’s center.
- Snow: Little Mtn, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Little Mtn, SC, 6 miles from the town’s center, 340 ft higher; 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 Peak’s climate
What is the weather like in Peak?
A typical July afternoon reaches 93°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 1 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 78% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 90% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Peak in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 43 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 39°.
How much snow does Peak get?
About 1.4 inches in a normal winter at Little Mtn, SC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Peak?
July, with a typical high of 93° and a low of 70°. About 48 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Little Mtn, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Peak?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 22 and the first fall frost by November 11, about 234 frost-free days, at Little Mtn, SC.
What growing zone is Peak in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 15°.
What is the best time of year to visit Peak?
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 Peak getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 75% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Peak.
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.