South Carolina Climate
Top 5 Cities: Charleston, Columbia, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Rock Hill
This month in numbers
South Carolina experienced its 4th warmest April on record, with an average temperature of 18.94°C, a significant 2.4°C above the 1961–1990 baseline. Maximum temperatures in April were particularly striking, ranking 1st of 77 years on record at 26.67°C, a full 2.9°C higher than the baseline. This warmth was coupled with exceptionally dry conditions, as April precipitation measured only 23.62 mm, ranking as the 75th driest April on record, a deficit of 57.8 mm compared to the average.
What changed
The trend of warm and dry conditions extends beyond April. For the February–April 2026 period, South Carolina recorded its 6th warmest average temperature and its 5th warmest maximum temperature on record. Most notably, precipitation for this three-month period was the driest on record, with only 45.04 mm, a staggering 54.7 mm below average. This puts South Carolina in a concerning position, as 9 of the top 10 warmest 3-month anomalies across all tracked regions were US states, highlighting a striking geographic pattern of warmth.
What’s driving change?
The persistent warmth and severe lack of rainfall in South Carolina are largely influenced by a combination of factors. The current Neutral ENSO state is forecast to transition to El Niño by May-July, with a high probability of 92% by June-August, which typically brings cooler and wetter conditions to the Southeast USA in winter, but its influence during this spring period is muted. The dry conditions have led to an unusual concentration of extreme weather events, with four wildfires and two drought events occurring in the past 12 months, representing 100% of the annual total for each type. The South Carolina Drought Response Committee has maintained severe drought status for all 46 counties, with officials noting near-record to record-low streamflows and declining groundwater levels. The lack of rain, combined with dry air and gusty winds, has created favorable conditions for wildfires, such as the Marion-Woodbury Road Fire in April, which burned nearly 2,000 acres. The ongoing drought is also making wildfires harder to fully extinguish and increasing the risk of long-term smoldering fires. You can track these events and more at Extreme Weather tracker.
Looking ahead
The forecast for the coming months suggests a likely transition to El Niño, which could bring a shift towards wetter conditions for the region later in the year.
Generated by Gemini from climate data and web sources
Loading climate data...
Data Sources
Data Sources for South Carolina
Every figure on this page is sourced from official, openly published climate datasets. Anomalies are calculated against the 1961–1990 baseline (temperature) and 1991–2020 (rainfall, sunshine, frost) — see the Methodology & Sources page for the complete dataset list and update calendar.
FAQs
FAQs
How is the climate in South Carolina changing?
South Carolina is warming in line with the rest of the world. The page above shows the latest monthly temperature anomaly versus the 1961-1990 baseline, the long-term annual trend, and the region's rank in the historical record. The trend rate is shown as °C per decade in the headline panel; you can also see the warmest and coolest years on file.
Where does the climate data for South Carolina come from?
Climate data for South Carolina comes from NOAA Climate at a Glance (temperature and precipitation), refreshed every month, when the upstream temperature and rainfall data are refreshed.
What is the climate baseline used on this page?
Anomalies on this page are calculated against the 1961-1990 climatological baseline, which is the standard reference period used by the Met Office, NOAA, IPCC and most national climate services. Some panels also show the source-native 1901-2000 (NOAA) or 1991-2020 (WMO) baselines for verification. See Methodology & Sources for the full reference.
Which areas does the South Carolina climate data cover?
The South Carolina climate profile covers Charleston, Columbia, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant and surrounding areas. South Carolina climate data from NOAA Climate at a Glance
How often is the South Carolina climate update refreshed?
The South Carolina climate update is refreshed monthly, typically a few days after the previous month closes and the upstream provider (Met Office HadUK-Grid, NOAA Climate at a Glance, Copernicus ERA5 or the Global Carbon Project) publishes its update. See the Climate Rankings for cross-region comparisons.