Photo: Evanoco · CC BY-SA 4.0Afternoon heat in Wagener beats that of 88% of U.S. towns
The depth of winter brings overnight lows near 34°. Its January nights stay gentler than in 79% of U.S. towns. Compared with 1901–2000, the average now sits 1.0° higher. The outdoor season runs from March to May and October to November, with highs of 66–84°.
A year in Wagener at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Wagener’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Wagener’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Wagener 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, 1.0 miles from the town’s center, at about the same height.
The 2023 USDA map puts Wagener’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 48 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 Wagener
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 Wagener’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
230 frost-free days in zone 8a. 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, May, October and November.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Wagener from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (38%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 10%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Wagener and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Wagener yet.
Climates most like Wagener’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wagener, SC | 34° | 92° | 48" | 0.7" |
| Cusseta, GA | 36° | 92° | 50" | 0.5" |
| Lumberton, NC | 34° | 91° | 48" | 1.2" |
| Atlanta, TX | 36° | 93° | 51" | 0.9" |
| 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 Wagener averaged 1.0° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in February (+1.7°).
A smaller shift than in 80% 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 Wagener compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Wagener’s place among South Carolina’s.
Wagener weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Wagener’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 | 41° – 59° |
| March | 68° | 43° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 49° – 64° |
| April | 76° | 50° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 59° – 68° |
| May | 84° | 59° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 67° – 77° |
| June | 89° | 67° | 5.4" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 74° – 82° |
| July | 92° | 70° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 78° – 84° |
| August | 90° | 69° | 4.9" | 0.0" | 11 | 0 | 77° – 85° |
| September | 85° | 63° | 4.2" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 71° – 80° |
| October | 76° | 52° | 3.3" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 60° – 69° |
| November | 66° | 41° | 3.1" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 49° – 59° |
| December | 59° | 36° | 4.1" | 0.0" | 9 | 0 | 38° – 59° |
| Year | 75° | 52° | 48.4" | 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 Wagener’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 Wagener’s center.
- Snow: Aiken 5se, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Wagener 1sw, SC, 1.0 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 Wagener’s climate
What is the weather like in Wagener?
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 88% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Wagener 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 Wagener get?
About 0.7 inches in a normal winter at Aiken 5se, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Wagener?
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 Wagener?
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 Wagener 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 Wagener?
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 Wagener getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.0° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 80% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Wagener.
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.