Photo: Bill Fitzpatrick · CC BY-SA 3.0Summer afternoons in Woodruff are warmer than in 79% of U.S. towns
Nights in January average 32°. It is a wet place: more rain and snow fall here than on 76% of U.S. towns. Warming shows here too: 0.9° more than in 1901–2000, led by December. Central heating does most of its work from December to February, in months below 50° on average.
A year in Woodruff at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Woodruff’s climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Woodruff’s place in South Carolina beside it.
What a year in Woodruff feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 224 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 28 and the first by November 7. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Greer, SC, 14 miles from the town’s center, 220 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Woodruff’s center in zone 8a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 13°. 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
March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain falls on about 85 days a year. Snow is rare: about 0.4" in a normal year at Woodruff 5 Nw, SC, so most winters see none.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Heating and cooling a home in Woodruff
64% 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 Greer, SC.
Living with Woodruff’s climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
224 frost-free days in zone 8a. The last frost comes by Mar 28 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 7.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: March, April, May, September and October. 0.7 miles of trails are waiting.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Woodruff from natural hazards, river flooding is the largest share (46%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 20%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Woodruff and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Woodruff yet.
Climates most like Woodruff’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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woodruff, SC | 32° | 90° | 48" | 0.4" |
| Smithfield, NC | 32° | 91° | 48" | 0.8" |
| Rockmart, GA | 32° | 90° | 50" | 0.7" |
| Lanett, AL | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.1" |
| Helena-West Helena, AR | 33° | 91° | 52" | 0.3" |
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 Woodruff averaged 0.9° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°).
A smaller shift than in 82% 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 Woodruff compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Woodruff’s place among South Carolina’s.
Woodruff weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Woodruff’s center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Woodruff 5 Nw, SC. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 53° | 32° | 4.2" | 0.2" | 7 | 0 | 36° – 49° |
| February | 57° | 35° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 38° – 54° |
| March | 65° | 41° | 4.7" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 47° – 62° |
| April | 74° | 49° | 4.0" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 57° – 65° |
| May | 81° | 57° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 7 | 0 | 65° – 74° |
| June | 87° | 66° | 4.3" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 72° – 80° |
| July | 90° | 69° | 3.8" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 77° – 84° |
| August | 89° | 68° | 4.4" | 0.0" | 8 | 0 | 75° – 84° |
| September | 83° | 62° | 3.9" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 69° – 78° |
| October | 73° | 51° | 3.4" | 0.0" | 5 | 0 | 58° – 67° |
| November | 63° | 40° | 3.7" | 0.0" | 6 | 0 | 46° – 57° |
| December | 55° | 34° | 4.4" | 0.2" | 8 | 0 | 36° – 55° |
| Year | 72° | 50° | 48.1" | 0.4" | 85 | 0 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. December swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 36° to 55°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Woodruff’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 Woodruff’s center.
- Snow: Woodruff 5 Nw, SC.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Greer, SC, 14 miles from the town’s center, 220 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 Woodruff’s climate
What is the weather like in Woodruff?
A typical July afternoon reaches 90°, a January night drops to 32°, and snow is almost unheard of. Milder January nights than 75% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 79% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Woodruff in winter?
January nights average 32°. About 54 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest January of the last 30 years the month averaged 36°.
How much snow does Woodruff get?
About 0.4 inches in a normal winter at Woodruff 5 Nw, SC, so most winters see none.
How hot does it get in Woodruff?
July, with a typical high of 90° and a low of 69°. About 48 days a year reach 90° and 1 reach 100° (Greer, SC).
When is the first and last frost in Woodruff?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by March 28 and the first fall frost by November 7, about 224 frost-free days, at Greer, SC.
What growing zone is Woodruff in?
Zone 8a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 13°.
What is the best time of year to visit Woodruff?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), March, April, May, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Woodruff getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 0.9° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 82% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Woodruff.
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.