Photo: Brian Stansberry · CC BY 4.0Ravenel’s winters are milder and less snowy than most of the U.S.
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of.
A year in Ravenel at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Ravenel’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Ravenel’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Ravenel feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 266 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 7 and the first by November 27. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Charleston International Airport, 14 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Ravenel’s center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 21°. 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 114 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.3" in a normal year at Charleston International Airport, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Ravenel
43% 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 Charleston International Airport.
Living with Ravenel’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
266 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by Mar 7 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 27.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: February, March, April, May, October, November and December. 0.0 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Ravenel from natural hazards, hurricanes are the largest share (56%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 2%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Ravenel and its neighbors
Every town next door is within a degree of Ravenel in January and July, closer than the 5 km grid can tell apart. Tap a town to see its climate.
Climates most like Ravenel’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ravenel, SC | 38° | 92° | 49" | 0.3" |
| Cordele, GA | 37° | 92° | 49" | 0.1" |
| Rusk, TX | 38° | 93° | 49" | 0.1" |
| Phenix City, AL | 36° | 92° | 51" | 0.0" |
| Macclenny, FL | 41° | 92° | 52" | 0.0" |
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 Ravenel averaged 1.3° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.5°).
A smaller shift than in 53% 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 Ravenel compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Ravenel’s place among South Carolina’s.
Ravenel weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Ravenel’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Charleston International Airport. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61° | 38° | 3.3" | 0.2" | 9 | 0 | 44° – 55° |
| February | 64° | 40° | 3.1" | 0.1" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 60° |
| March | 70° | 46° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 52° – 65° |
| April | 77° | 53° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| May | 84° | 61° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 69° – 77° |
| June | 89° | 69° | 5.5" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 72° | 5.8" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 80° – 85° |
| August | 90° | 71° | 6.4" | 0.0" | 13 | 0 | 78° – 83° |
| September | 86° | 67° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| October | 78° | 56° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 64° – 71° |
| November | 69° | 46° | 2.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 53° – 64° |
| December | 63° | 41° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 42° – 62° |
| Year | 77° | 55° | 49.2" | 0.3" | 114 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 42° to 62°. August is the most reliable, staying within 5°.
Where Ravenel’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 Ravenel’s center.
- Snow: Charleston International Airport.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Charleston International Airport, 14 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 Ravenel’s climate
What is the weather like in Ravenel?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, a January night drops to 38°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 85% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 85% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Ravenel in winter?
January nights average 38°. About 22 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 44°.
How much snow does Ravenel get?
About 0.3 inches in a normal winter at Charleston International Airport, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Ravenel?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 72°. About 64 days a year reach 90° (Charleston International Airport).
When is the first and last frost in Ravenel?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 7 and the first fall frost by November 27, about 266 frost-free days, at Charleston International Airport.
What growing zone is Ravenel in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 21°.
What is the best time of year to visit Ravenel?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), February, March, April, May, October, November and December. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Ravenel getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.3° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 53% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Ravenel.
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.