Oconee State Park Historic District · Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0Tamassee sits near the top of U.S. towns for precipitation, with 70 inches a year
Midwinter brings lows of about 30°. Expect the heaviest rain or snow in August and the lightest in October. Winters are mild: January nights here are milder than in 72% of U.S. towns. Tender plants can go out after about April 11; in half of years the first frost comes by October 30.
A year in Tamassee at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Tamassee’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Tamassee’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Tamassee feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 203 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by April 11 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Walhalla, SC, 9 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Tamassee’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 12°. 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 2 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Walhalla, SC, falls mostly in January. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 70 inches a year; August is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 122 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Tamassee
71% 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 Walhalla, SC.
Living with Tamassee’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
203 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Apr 11 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: April, May, September and October.
Parks & trails →Cold waves are 51% of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Tamassee from natural hazards, the largest share. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Tamassee and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Tamassee yet.
Climates most like Tamassee’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tamassee, SC | 30° | 89° | 70" | 2.2" |
| Lynchburg, TN | 29° | 88° | 60" | 1.5" |
| Meridianville, AL | 30° | 89° | 59" | 1.1" |
| Booneville, MS | 31° | 90° | 59" | 1.1" |
| Mena, AR | 29° | 90° | 58" | 4.0" |
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 Tamassee averaged 0.6° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+1.6°).
A smaller shift than in 97% 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 Tamassee compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Tamassee’s place among South Carolina’s.
Tamassee weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Tamassee’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Walhalla, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 52° | 30° | 6.3" | 0.8" | 10 | 1 | 34° – 47° |
| February | 56° | 33° | 5.3" | 0.7" | 10 | 0 | 36° – 53° |
| March | 64° | 39° | 5.8" | 0.2" | 11 | 0 | 44° – 60° |
| April | 73° | 46° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 10 | 0 | 55° – 63° |
| May | 80° | 54° | 5.2" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 62° – 70° |
| June | 86° | 63° | 6.1" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 70° – 78° |
| July | 89° | 67° | 6.3" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 75° – 81° |
| August | 87° | 66° | 7.2" | 0.0" | 12 | 0 | 73° – 81° |
| September | 82° | 60° | 5.6" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| October | 72° | 48° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 57° – 64° |
| November | 63° | 38° | 5.3" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 45° – 56° |
| December | 55° | 33° | 6.5" | 0.5" | 11 | 0 | 34° – 53° |
| Year | 71° | 48° | 69.5" | 2.2" | 122 | 1 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 34° to 53°. July is the most reliable, staying within 6°.
Where Tamassee’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 Tamassee’s center.
- Snow: Walhalla, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Walhalla, SC, 9 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 Tamassee’s climate
What is the weather like in Tamassee?
A typical July afternoon reaches 89°, a January night drops to 30°, and about 2 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 72% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 71% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Tamassee in winter?
January nights average 30°. About 79 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 34°.
How much snow does Tamassee get?
About 2.2 inches in a normal winter at Walhalla, SC, most of it in January, with snow on the ground about 1 days a year.
How hot does it get in Tamassee?
July, with a typical high of 89° and a low of 67°. About 44 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Walhalla, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Tamassee?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by April 11 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 203 frost-free days, at Walhalla, SC.
What growing zone is Tamassee in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 12°.
What is the best time of year to visit Tamassee?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Tamassee getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.6° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 97% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Tamassee.
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.