Salley Historic District · Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer arrives in force in Salley, hotter than in 89% of U.S. towns
January mornings start at about 34°. The wettest month is June; the driest is November. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 79% of U.S. towns. Seedlings are safe outdoors from about March 26, with the first autumn frost due around November 9.
A year in Salley at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Salley’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Salley’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Salley feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 230 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 26 and the first by November 9. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Wagener 1sw, SC, 6 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Salley’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 49 inches of rain a year
June is the wettest month and November the driest. Rain falls on about 103 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.7" in a normal year at Aiken 5se, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Salley
58% 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 Wagener 1sw, SC.
Living with Salley’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 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 9.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Salley from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (36%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 9%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Salley and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Salley yet.
Climates most like Salley’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salley, SC | 34° | 92° | 49" | 0.7" |
| Cusseta, GA | 36° | 92° | 50" | 0.5" |
| Atlanta, TX | 36° | 93° | 51" | 0.9" |
| Hope Mills, NC | 33° | 91° | 47" | 1.2" |
| Texarkana, AR | 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 Salley averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 84% 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 Salley compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Salley’s place among South Carolina’s.
Salley weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Salley’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Aiken 5se, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57° | 34° | 4.1" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 40° – 52° |
| February | 61° | 37° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 42° – 59° |
| March | 69° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 77° | 51° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 84° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| June | 90° | 67° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 83° |
| July | 92° | 70° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 79° – 84° |
| August | 91° | 69° | 5.1" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| September | 86° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| October | 77° | 52° | 3.2" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 61° – 69° |
| November | 67° | 42° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 60° |
| December | 59° | 36° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 59° |
| Year | 76° | 52° | 48.5" | 0.7" | 103 | 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 59°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Salley’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 Salley’s center.
- Snow: Aiken 5se, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wagener 1sw, 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 Salley’s climate
What is the weather like in Salley?
A typical July afternoon reaches 92°, 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 89% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Salley in winter?
January nights average 34°. About 45 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 40°.
How much snow does Salley get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Aiken 5se, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Salley?
July, with a typical high of 92° and a low of 70°. About 66 days a year reach 90° (Wagener 1sw, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Salley?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 26 and the first fall frost by November 9, about 230 frost-free days, at Wagener 1sw, SC.
What growing zone is Salley 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 Salley?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, October and November. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Salley getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 84% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Salley.
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.