Columbia, SC

Climate overview — based on NOAA 1991-2020 normals from SANDHILL RSCH - ELGIN, SC US.

Cfa Humid subtropical climate 8b USDA hardiness Zone 8b

Year-round temperatures (°F)

30° 50° 70° 90° J F M A M J J A S O N D
Avg high Avg low

Climate summary

Columbia has an annual average temperature of 63.6°F with about 46.3 inches of precipitation per year and 0.4 inches of snow. The warmest month is July (average high 92.5°F), and the coldest is January (average low 33.3°F). August is typically the wettest month (4.74 in) and November the driest (3.03 in). Snow typically falls from January through January.

Pleasant months
2 / 12
avg high 65–80°F, low ≥ 50°F
Annual swing
36.8°F
warmest to coldest month
Heating need
2,337
Cooling need
1,815

Best time to visit Columbia

Full guide →

Climate change signal

All-time records →

31 of 366 (8.5%) of Columbia's all-time daily heat records have been set since 2015. If records were spread evenly across the station's history, only about 5% would fall in any given decade.

1950s
11
1960s
33
1970s
45
1980s
72
1990s
60
2000s
78
2010s
54
2020s
13

Bars: number of all-time daily heat records still standing that were set in each decade.

Monthly averages

Month Avg High Avg Low Avg Temp Precipitation Snow Rainy days
January 56.3°F 33.3°F 44.8°F 3.70 in 0.4 in 9
February 60.0°F 36.1°F 48.0°F 3.62 in 8
March 67.2°F 42.2°F 54.7°F 3.76 in 8
April 76.0°F 50.6°F 63.3°F 3.21 in 7
May 83.2°F 59.4°F 71.3°F 3.19 in 7
June 88.9°F 67.4°F 78.1°F 4.43 in 9
July 92.5°F 70.7°F 81.6°F 4.67 in 9
August 90.5°F 69.5°F 80.0°F 4.74 in 9
September 85.4°F 63.6°F 74.5°F 4.64 in 8
October 76.2°F 52.5°F 64.4°F 3.24 in 6
November 66.1°F 42.3°F 54.2°F 3.03 in 6
December 58.9°F 36.5°F 47.7°F 4.11 in 8

Climate twins of Columbia

Why these? →

The most climatically similar US cities at least 140 miles away (by monthly temperature + precipitation pattern).

Frost dates
Last spring / first fall frost
All-time records
Hottest, coldest, wettest
Planting calendar
What to plant, and when

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