Columbia, SC Climate: Temperature & Rain by Month
Pulled from NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 normals →: climate measurements used in PlainClimate's documented score
30-year climate normals (1991-2020) from Columbia's primary NOAA station, COLUMBIA.
The climate verdict for Columbia
Water is the standout signal in Columbia, South Carolina: 45.2 inches of precipitation in a normal year. Against that wet profile, NOAA records an annual average of 64°F. It scores 93/100 for climate comfort (excellent), putting it in the top third of station-mapped location scores and exceeding 93% of them.
- 64°F
- average temperature, NOAA 1991-2020 normal
- 93/100
- comfort score, above 93% of station-mapped location scores
- 45.2"
- annual precipitation · 1" snow
- 227 days
- frost-free growing season
Columbia: NOAA 1991-2020 normals describe a typical year, not a forecast. Method: /methodology.
Normals record plate
Sheet USW00013883 · Columbia, SC 64°F mean · 45.2" precip
TEMP-MILD · RANK-UPPER · PHOTO-FINISH · PRCP-MID · SWING-MID · COMF-TOP · LOAD-MIX · STN-1 · BOOK-FULL
- TEMP-MILD 64°F
- RANK-UPPER #5,900
- PHOTO-FINISH ≈ Atlanta
- PRCP-MID 45.2"
- SWING-MID 37°F
- COMF-TOP 93/100
- LOAD-MIX H/C balanced
- STN-1 USW00013883
- BOOK-FULL 6/6 fields
Nearest mean-temperature peer: Atlanta, TX (+ 0 °F mean)
Instrument codes from this station's NOAA 1991–2020 normals, mean temperature, corpus warmth rank, photo-finish peer station, precipitation band, seasonal swing, comfort composite, degree-day load, and field book, not a livability rating.
Mean-temperature neighbourhood
Nationwide NOAA normal poles and nearest peers, not a reprint of every SC station list.
- Columbia (this station) 64°F
- Hot Five Points, CA 64°F
- Near Atlanta, TX 64°F
- Near Cherry Point Mc…, NC 64°F
- Near Delano, CA 64°F
Climate Living Index · Columbia
Columbia: 73/100 · grade B
Columbia publishes all six Living Index dimensions from NOAA annual/seasonal normals · NOAA daily multivariate normals · NOAA hourly normals.
PlainClimate-derived for Columbia, not an official NOAA rating. Rankings still use Comfort Score 93/100 (separate formula). Breakpoints and limits.
| Dimension | Station value | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Annual temperature balance | 64.3°F · 3.2° from 67.5°F | 90/100 · A |
| Normal heat + freeze calendar | 69 calendar days | 86/100 · A |
| Snowfall burden | 1.2 inches/year | 81/100 · B |
| Frost-free season | 227 days/year | 80/100 · B |
| Precipitation balance | 45.2 in · 10.2 from 35 in | 64/100 · C |
| Summer moisture balance | 68.8°F mean dew point | 19/100 · F |
Columbia · 2026-08-04 · NOAA NCEI Climate Normals · method · Comfort Score method.
Columbia is a temperate Köppen climate: Cfa
Coldest-month mean 45.7°F and warmest-month mean 82.4°F place this station in temperate, no dry season, hot summer climates (Cfa). Class Cfa is the Peel et al. (2007) label for this station's monthly mean temperature and precipitation normals: temperate, specifically temperate, no dry season, hot summer.
- Köppen code
- Cfa
- Group
- Temperate
- Warmest month
- 82.4°F
- Coldest month
- 45.7°F
Source: official public datasets monthly normals (1991–2020) at the city’s primary station. This is a station classification, not a mapped regional consensus.
National standing · balanced station
Where Columbia sits across the climate record
Three NOAA fields for Columbia's primary station, temperature, precipitation, and seasonal swing, are ranked against every station-mapped normal that carries the same field.
- Annual temperature
- Top 14% warmest
- Among 6,861 stations, Columbia sits in the warmer third of annual means.
- Annual precipitation
- 69th percentile wetness
- Neither arid nor torrential versus 6,352 station totals.
- Seasonal temperature swing
- Narrower than 78%
- Warmest-to-coldest month gap for Columbia is compact versus 6,861 complete station-years.
How Columbia compares across U.S. station-mapped locations
Columbia's comfort score vs. all station-mapped locations
PlainClimate composite comfort index (1–100), NOAA 1991–2020 normals
93 Top 7% score exceeds 93% of 6,189 station-mapped location scores
- 0–10: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 10–20: 0 station-mapped locations (0%). Below this entry.
- 20–30: 96 station-mapped locations (2%). Below this entry.
- 30–40: 280 station-mapped locations (5%). Below this entry.
- 40–50: 1,113 station-mapped locations (18%). Below this entry.
- 50–60: 1,329 station-mapped locations (21%). Below this entry.
- 60–70: 1,236 station-mapped locations (20%). Below this entry.
- 70–80: 650 station-mapped locations (11%). Below this entry.
- 80–90: 921 station-mapped locations (15%). Below this entry.
- 90–100: 564 station-mapped locations (9%). This entry sits in this band.
Source NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, PlainClimate comfort index · 1991–2020
Columbia's measured station temperature trend
MethodologyAcross 129 complete annual observations from 1873 to 2025, COLUMBIA changed little at a fitted rate of 0.02°C per decade. The line shows the fitted change relative to its first year, not raw year-to-year temperatures or a forecast.
- Columbia primary station fitted change +0.02 °C/decade
Monthly Temperatures
Average daily high and low temperatures by month
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Mean | Precip | Snow | Freeze Days | 90°F+ Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57°F (14°C) | 35°F (1°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 3.5" | 0.6" | 13.9 | 0.0 |
| February | 61°F (16°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 49°F (10°C) | 3.4" | 0.4" | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| March | 68°F (20°C) | 44°F (6°C) | 56°F (13°C) | 3.6" | 0.1" | 4.4 | 0.0 |
| April | 77°F (25°C) | 52°F (11°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 2.8" | 0.0" | 0.5 | 1.1 |
| May | 84°F (29°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 3.5" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 7.2 |
| June | 90°F (32°C) | 69°F (20°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 5.0" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 17.5 |
| July | 93°F (34°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 82°F (28°C) | 5.3" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 24.3 |
| August | 91°F (33°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 81°F (27°C) | 4.7" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 20.5 |
| September | 86°F (30°C) | 65°F (19°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 3.9" | 0.0" | 0.0 | 9.7 |
| October | 77°F (25°C) | 53°F (12°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 3.1" | 0.0" | 0.5 | 0.6 |
| November | 66°F (19°C) | 42°F (5°C) | 54°F (12°C) | 2.8" | 0.0" | 6.0 | 0.0 |
| December | 59°F (15°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 3.7" | 0.1" | 11.9 | 0.0 |
The year, day by day
The year in Columbia runs from a mild 34°F around January 9 to 93°F at the peak near July 14, and the normal low never reaches freezing on any date in the record.
When the heat sits
Normal highs reach 90°F from June 17 through August 24, covering 69 dates. The broader mild season, normal highs of 70°F or more, runs March 23 to November 4.
This counts calendar dates whose 1991–2020 normal high reaches 90°F. It is a smaller number than the 90°F+ day counts in the monthly table above, which measure how often the threshold was actually crossed in a typical year. A date can average 88°F and still exceed 90°F in half of all years.
No freezing date
Not one calendar date in the 1991–2020 record carries a normal low at or below 32°F. The coldest normal low of the year is 34°F around January 9.
Where the wet dates fall
The likeliest wet date is July 21, when 38% of years recorded at least a hundredth of an inch. The driest is October 25 at 23%. Summed across the calendar, that is about 109 wet dates a year.
The widest day
November 6 carries the biggest normal gap between afternoon and dawn, 26°F between the normal high and the normal low.
Look up any date
Any date's 1991–2020 normal for Columbia.
Where Columbia Stands Nationally
Heat is a defining feature of the normals calendar — the normal daily high reaches 90°F on roughly 69 days a year, more than four out of five ranked stations record.
Columbia earns one nationally notable standing (outer quintile) against 6,860 NOAA 1991–2020 normals stations, middle-of-the-pack metrics stay silent here.
Monthly Precipitation
Average monthly rainfall and snowfall
Snow: 0.6"
9.6 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.4"
8.9 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
8.9 days with precipitation
8.1 days with precipitation
8.5 days with precipitation
11.0 days with precipitation
11.8 days with precipitation
10.4 days with precipitation
8.0 days with precipitation
6.9 days with precipitation
7.3 days with precipitation
Snow: 0.1"
9.2 days with precipitation
Columbia spreads its precipitation across the year
Neither half of the year dominates here: June through August take 33% of the annual total and December through February 23%, with neither reaching the 35% that would mark a distinct wet season. Columbia has no dry season to plan around, though it does carry a 36.7°F seasonal spread.
The gap between the wettest and driest month still matters: July averages 5.3" and November 2.8". The three wettest months together take 33% of the year, against the 25% a perfectly flat distribution would give them.
Shares are computed from this station's own 1991-2020 monthly precipitation normals. "Spread across the year" means neither the June-August nor the December-February share reaches 35%; it describes an average year, not the variability of any single one.
When it rains in Columbia, it arrives in quantity
45.2" of precipitation falls across only about 109 wet days here, averaging 0.42 inches each. Fewer days carry more water: the year's total is delivered in comparatively heavy events rather than persistent damp.
- Days with measurable precipitation
- about 109 a year, 30% of all days
- Average depth per wet day
- 0.42 inches
- Most wet days
- July, about 12
- Fewest wet days
- October, about 7
A wet day is one recording at least 0.01 inches. These are 1991-2020 normals: they describe an average year, and a per-day average is not a forecast of any individual storm.
Snow reaches Columbia, but rarely amounts to much
The normals record 1.2 inches of snow a year here, most likely in January. That is a real but marginal amount: enough that snow is part of the local record, not enough to define the winter.
A figure in this range usually reflects a handful of events that melt quickly rather than a season of accumulation; about 1 days a year record any measurable snow at all.
NOAA 1991-2020 normals. An average across thirty years can smooth away a single heavy winter, so a small annual figure does not mean a significant snowfall is impossible.
Frost Dates & Growing Season
First Fall Freeze
November 7
50% probability date
Last Spring Freeze
March 25
50% probability date
Growing Season
227 days
Heating & Cooling Degree Days
Annual totals indicate energy demand for heating and cooling
Heating Degree Days
2,473
Higher = more heating needed
Cooling Degree Days
2,237
Higher = more cooling needed
Warmest Month
July
Coldest Month
January
Humidity & Wind
Monthly averages from hourly observations
| Month | Humidity | Wind (mph) | Clear Sky % | Overcast % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 61% | 6.6 | 34% | 31% |
| February | 61% | 7.0 | 34% | 30% |
| March | 58% | 7.4 | 33% | 26% |
| April | 62% | 6.9 | 32% | 21% |
| May | 66% | 6.2 | 25% | 20% |
| June | 68% | 5.7 | 24% | 15% |
| July | 71% | 5.3 | 24% | 18% |
| August | 70% | 5.3 | 27% | 18% |
| September | 71% | 5.3 | 35% | 22% |
| October | 70% | 4.9 | 43% | 21% |
| November | 68% | 5.2 | 40% | 23% |
| December | 67% | 5.8 | 35% | 30% |
Nationwide similar cities
Other rankable U.S. places outside SC closest to Columbia on two NOAA annual-normal axes (mean temperature and annual precipitation). Chip rows use distinct link sets.
Closest by average temperature
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual mean temperature (64°F here).
- Atlanta, TX 64°F · 0.0°F off
- Delano, CA 64°F · 0.0°F off
- Kettleman City, CA 64°F · 0.0°F off
- Marshall, TX 64°F · 0.0°F off
Closest by annual precipitation
Nearest out-of-state peers by annual precipitation (45.2" here), excluding temperature-peer places.
- Slippery Rock, PA 45.2" · 0.0" off
- Harrisburg, PA 45.2" · 0.0" off
- Buffalo, MO 45.3" · 0.0" off
- Frostburg, MD 45.2" · 0.0" off
Data-derived climate profile
How Columbia's climate pattern fits together
mixed demand · wet · mid swing
Water is prominent even though neither heating nor cooling wholly defines the record. Columbia averages 45.2 inches of precipitation a year. Annual snowfall totals 1.2 inches. The monthly table supplies the seasonal distribution hidden by that annual total.
July and January mark the typical warm and cold ends of the calendar in Columbia's middle-range seasonal profile. The measured spread is 36.7°F. The annual average is 64°F. Neither the annual mean nor one extreme month represents the full calendar on its own.
Heating and cooling both register in Columbia's normal, at 2,473 and 2,237 degree days respectively. Neither total exceeds the other by more than two to one, so the record is better read as a mixed-demand calendar than as heating-led or cooling-led.
A roughly 227-day frost-free season sits inside this mixed heating-and-cooling profile. Start and end dates matter because both sides of the thermostat register during a normal year.
These labels group NOAA 1991-2020 normals from Columbia's primary station, where heating and cooling demand are close enough that neither season sets the character on its own. On a balanced station like Columbia, the bands are descriptive ranges rather than an official NOAA classification or a forecast.
Questions about Columbia's climate
How much rain does Columbia get? ▼
How many days above 90°F does Columbia get? ▼
How much energy does heating and cooling require in Columbia? ▼
Data Sources
Data source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals v1.0.1 (1991-2020). All figures on this page are from Columbia's primary station: COLUMBIA (USW00013883). For informational purposes only.
Place identity: U.S. Census Bureau 2024 Gazetteer places. The 2024 Census Gazetteer identifies the exact name-and-state match as an incorporated place (GEOID 4516000). Match rule for Columbia: exact normalized name + state only, no fuzzy expansion, so nearby differently spelled facilities stay unmatched.
On this page every temperature, precipitation, and derived score for Columbia comes from its primary NOAA station record. No figure on this page is typed in by an editor - each value is rendered from NOAA 1991-2020 U.S. Climate Normals. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 1991–2020 normals.