Things to Do › What to Pack
What to pack for South Carolina depends on place and month: NOAA normals for 5 stations from the coast to the Upstate show each place's hottest, coldest and wettest months. Highs, lows and rain are 1991-2020 averages, not forecasts.
- Stations5coast to Upstate
- DataNOAA1991-2020 normals
- Hurricane SeasonJun 1-Nov 30NOAA
- CheckedOct 262026
Hottest, Coldest and Wettest Months
| Station | Hottest month (normal high) | Coldest month (normal low) | Wettest month (normal rain) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston International Airport | Jul (91 F) | Jan (39 F) | Aug (7.0 in) |
| Columbia (Columbia Metropolitan Airport area) | Jul (93 F) | Jan (35 F) | Jul (5.3 in) |
| Greenville-Spartanburg Airport area (NCEI name: Greer) | Jul (90 F) | Jan (32 F) | Jul (4.8 in) |
| North Myrtle Beach Airport | Jul (88 F) | Jan (37 F) | Sep (6.7 in) |
| Caesars Head (Upstate mountain station) | Jul (78 F) | Jan (28 F) | Dec (7.1 in) |
These are read from the monthly tables below. Pack for the forecast, which changes daily; use the tables to see what a typical month is like.
Charleston International Airport
| Month | Normal high | Normal low | Normal rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60.2 F | 38.9 F | 3.37 in |
| Feb | 63.8 F | 41.6 F | 3.05 in |
| Mar | 70.1 F | 47.3 F | 3.35 in |
| Apr | 77.1 F | 54.5 F | 3.29 in |
| May | 83.6 F | 63.0 F | 3.32 in |
| Jun | 88.5 F | 70.4 F | 6.21 in |
| Jul | 91.3 F | 73.7 F | 6.60 in |
| Aug | 89.8 F | 73.1 F | 6.97 in |
| Sep | 85.4 F | 68.3 F | 6.01 in |
| Oct | 77.9 F | 57.7 F | 4.33 in |
| Nov | 69.4 F | 47.1 F | 2.66 in |
| Dec | 62.7 F | 41.6 F | 3.35 in |
NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00013880. Data source
Columbia (Columbia Metropolitan Airport Area)
| Month | Normal high | Normal low | Normal rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56.8 F | 34.6 F | 3.49 in |
| Feb | 60.8 F | 37.3 F | 3.39 in |
| Mar | 68.3 F | 43.6 F | 3.57 in |
| Apr | 76.7 F | 51.5 F | 2.83 in |
| May | 83.8 F | 60.5 F | 3.49 in |
| Jun | 89.7 F | 68.6 F | 4.97 in |
| Jul | 92.7 F | 72.0 F | 5.35 in |
| Aug | 90.8 F | 71.2 F | 4.65 in |
| Sep | 85.7 F | 65.3 F | 3.91 in |
| Oct | 76.5 F | 52.7 F | 3.13 in |
| Nov | 66.4 F | 41.6 F | 2.76 in |
| Dec | 58.9 F | 36.5 F | 3.70 in |
NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00013883. Data source
Greenville-Spartanburg Airport Area (NCEI Name: Greer)
| Month | Normal high | Normal low | Normal rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52.8 F | 32.1 F | 4.12 in |
| Feb | 57.0 F | 34.8 F | 3.84 in |
| Mar | 64.4 F | 41.2 F | 4.48 in |
| Apr | 73.2 F | 48.7 F | 4.04 in |
| May | 80.3 F | 57.5 F | 4.07 in |
| Jun | 87.2 F | 65.5 F | 3.90 in |
| Jul | 90.3 F | 69.2 F | 4.82 in |
| Aug | 88.5 F | 68.3 F | 4.66 in |
| Sep | 82.7 F | 62.4 F | 3.73 in |
| Oct | 73.1 F | 50.4 F | 3.59 in |
| Nov | 62.9 F | 40.4 F | 3.84 in |
| Dec | 54.9 F | 34.8 F | 4.58 in |
NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00003870. Data source
North Myrtle Beach Airport
| Month | Normal high | Normal low | Normal rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55.7 F | 36.7 F | 3.01 in |
| Feb | 58.2 F | 39.6 F | 3.18 in |
| Mar | 64.7 F | 45.4 F | 3.59 in |
| Apr | 71.8 F | 53.3 F | 2.77 in |
| May | 78.7 F | 62.1 F | 2.96 in |
| Jun | 84.8 F | 70.3 F | 4.07 in |
| Jul | 87.6 F | 73.7 F | 5.40 in |
| Aug | 86.5 F | 72.5 F | 6.25 in |
| Sep | 83.2 F | 67.7 F | 6.65 in |
| Oct | 75.6 F | 56.3 F | 4.20 in |
| Nov | 66.4 F | 45.6 F | 3.29 in |
| Dec | 59.3 F | 40.0 F | 3.10 in |
NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USW00093718. Data source
Caesars Head (Upstate Mountain Station)
| Month | Normal high | Normal low | Normal rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 44.8 F | 27.9 F | 6.02 in |
| Feb | 48.3 F | 30.3 F | 4.82 in |
| Mar | 55.9 F | 36.6 F | 5.17 in |
| Apr | 65.0 F | 44.4 F | 5.93 in |
| May | 70.0 F | 53.2 F | 6.11 in |
| Jun | 75.0 F | 60.4 F | 6.93 in |
| Jul | 77.6 F | 63.9 F | 7.02 in |
| Aug | 76.2 F | 62.6 F | 6.97 in |
| Sep | 71.1 F | 57.6 F | 6.62 in |
| Oct | 62.9 F | 47.8 F | 5.60 in |
| Nov | 54.9 F | 38.2 F | 5.93 in |
| Dec | 47.6 F | 32.1 F | 7.08 in |
NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 monthly normals, station USC00381256. Data source
FAQ
When is hurricane season in South Carolina?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30, per NOAA’s National Hurricane Center.
Are these numbers a forecast?
No. They are 30-year averages from 1991 to 2020.
What We Could Not Confirm
Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.
- Sea water temperature by month: the NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide page (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/products/coastal-water-temperature-guide) states it was decommissioned May 5, 2025 and lists no monthly values; no NOAA page with SC monthly sea temperatures was read, so none included. Leads: NOAA Tides and Currents (tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov) and NDBC (ndbc.noaa.gov) station data.
- Station 'Myrtle Beach airport': the NCEI station for the airport at North Myrtle Beach is USW00093718 (N MYRTLE BCH AP). Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) itself was not found as a separate normals station.
- NWS/NCEI naming for the station was not separately checked.
- Columbia: USW00013883 is named COLUMBIA in the NCEI inventory; airport naming not separately checked.
- Caesars Head is a cooperative observer station; Jocassee 8 WNW (USC00384581) also has normals but was not included.
Sources
- NCEI Data Service API (Normals-Monthly-1991-2020)
- NCEI normals station inventory
- NOAA National Hurricane Center climatology
- NCEI Coastal Water Temperature Guide (Decommissioned)
- Charleston International Airport
- Columbia (Columbia Metropolitan Airport area)
- Greenville-Spartanburg Airport area (NCEI name: Greer)
- North Myrtle Beach Airport
- Caesars Head (Upstate mountain station)
Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “What to Pack for South Carolina”, itssouthcarolina.com/things-to-do/what-to-pack-for-south-carolina/ (updated ). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.