Columbia climate
Columbia (South Carolina, United States) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C64 °F, and about 1,150 mm45 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Columbia climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1253 | 134 | 643 | 773.0 | 14 |
| Feb | 1457 | 337 | 847 | 903.5 | 9 |
| Mar | 1865 | 744 | 1254 | 943.7 | 4 |
| Apr | 2474 | 1152 | 1763 | 783.1 | 0 |
| May | 2883 | 1662 | 2272 | 943.7 | 0 |
| Jun | 3289 | 2170 | 2680 | 1194.7 | 0 |
| Jul | 3492 | 2373 | 2883 | 1194.7 | 0 |
| Aug | 3391 | 2272 | 2781 | 1164.6 | 0 |
| Sep | 3085 | 1966 | 2476 | 973.8 | 0 |
| Oct | 2576 | 1254 | 1865 | 813.2 | 0 |
| Nov | 1865 | 643 | 1254 | 773.0 | 3 |
| Dec | 1457 | 337 | 847 | 1084.3 | 10 |
| Year | 3492 | 134 | 1864 | 1,15045 | 40 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 80% | 52% | 2.7 | 10:07 |
| Feb | 80% | 56% | 3.3 | 10:55 |
| Mar | 79% | 54% | 4.4 | 11:53 |
| Apr | 75% | 50% | 5.6 | 12:00 |
| May | 71% | 54% | 6.1 | 13:55 |
| Jun | 70% | 54% | 6.4 | 14:24 |
| Jul | 69% | 58% | 6.1 | 14:12 |
| Aug | 71% | 56% | 5.5 | 13:25 |
| Sep | 71% | 49% | 4.8 | 12:20 |
| Oct | 72% | 44% | 3.9 | 11:16 |
| Nov | 73% | 44% | 3.0 | 10:20 |
| Dec | 80% | 54% | 2.4 | 9:54 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Columbia is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 34 °C92 °F and a low of 23 °C73 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 12 °C53 °F and lows 1 °C34 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 21.8 °C39.2 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,150 mm45 in of precipitation per year. Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year. The wettest month is July (119 mm4.7 in), the driest is January (77 mm3.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 69% in July to 80% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 44%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in August to 6 km/h (4 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 9.9 hours in December to 14.4 hours in June.
Best time to visit Columbia
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and October: average highs of 24 °C74 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 78 mm3.1 in to 94 mm3.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 12 °C53 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Columbia
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1253 to 14 °C57 °F, lows 134 to 3 °C37 °F, about 92 mm3.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1865 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 744 to 16 °C62 °F, about 89 mm3.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3289 to 34 °C92 °F, lows 2170 to 23 °C73 °F, about 118 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1865 to 30 °C85 °F, lows 643 to 19 °C66 °F, about 85 mm3.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Columbia compares
Compared with Charlotte, about 137 km to the north, Columbia is on average 1.9 °C3.3 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in February (2.2 °C4 °F warmer).
Of the 222 places in the United States covered by World Climates, Columbia is the 74th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 82nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the United States climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Shaoyang (China, Cfa), Guli (China, Cfa) and Lengshuijiang (China, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Charlotte 137 km · 16 °C60 °F · 1,146 mm45 in
- Charleston 170 km · 19 °C66 °F · 1,246 mm49 in
- Savannah 213 km · 20 °C68 °F · 1,152 mm45 in
- Athens 216 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,261 mm50 in
- Fayetteville 230 km · 17 °C62 °F · 1,237 mm49 in
- High Point 237 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Winston-Salem 244 km · 14 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
- Greensboro 257 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,147 mm45 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Columbia?
July is the warmest month in Columbia, with an average high of 34 °C (92 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (73 °F).
What is the coldest month in Columbia?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 12 °C (53 °F) and an average low of 1 °C (34 °F).
When does it rain the most in Columbia?
July is the wettest month with about 119 mm (4.7 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 77 mm (3.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Columbia?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April and May and October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.