Best time to visit Columbia
The best time to visit Columbia is March–April and October–November, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Columbia, South Carolina, United States
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 13.4 °C / 56 °F | 3.1 °C / 38 °F | 81 mm / 3.2 in | good month |
| February | 15.9 °C / 61 °F | 4.8 °C / 41 °F | 82 mm / 3.2 in | good month |
| March | 19.9 °C / 68 °F | 8.2 °C / 47 °F | 84 mm / 3.3 in | best month |
| April | 24.6 °C / 76 °F | 12.5 °C / 55 °F | 87 mm / 3.4 in | best month |
| May | 28.1 °C / 83 °F | 17.3 °C / 63 °F | 85 mm / 3.3 in | good month |
| June | 31.7 °C / 89 °F | 21.5 °C / 71 °F | 88 mm / 3.5 in | neither best nor good |
| July | 32.9 °C / 91 °F | 23.3 °C / 74 °F | 112 mm / 4.4 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 31.7 °C / 89 °F | 22.7 °C / 73 °F | 122 mm / 4.8 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 29.3 °C / 85 °F | 19.5 °C / 67 °F | 86 mm / 3.4 in | good month |
| October | 24.3 °C / 76 °F | 13.1 °C / 56 °F | 77 mm / 3 in | best month |
| November | 18.8 °C / 66 °F | 7.2 °C / 45 °F | 71 mm / 2.8 in | best month |
| December | 15.3 °C / 60 °F | 5.1 °C / 41 °F | 104 mm / 4.1 in | good month |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: good
- FFebruary: good
- MMarch: best
- AApril: best
- MMay: good
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: good
- Best
- March–April, October–November
- Good
- May, September, December–February
Why these months
January · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 70%, precipitation 81 mm / 3.2 in, wet days 9.1 days, average daily high 13.4 °C / 56 °F, days with heavy rain 3 days, relative humidity 66%.
Against: feels like (high) 10.4 °C / 51 °F, average daily low 3.1 °C / 38 °F.
February · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 70%, feels like (high) 13.1 °C / 56 °F, precipitation 82 mm / 3.2 in, average daily high 15.9 °C / 61 °F, wet days 8.8 days, days with heavy rain 2.8 days, relative humidity 64%, average daily low 4.8 °C / 41 °F.
March · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 17.8 °C / 64 °F, average daily high 19.9 °C / 68 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 71%, precipitation 84 mm / 3.3 in, days with heavy rain 2.9 days, wet days 9.2 days, relative humidity 60%, average daily low 8.2 °C / 47 °F.
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 23.6 °C / 74 °F, average daily high 24.6 °C / 76 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 81%, precipitation 87 mm / 3.4 in, wet days 8.2 days, days with heavy rain 2.9 days, average daily low 12.5 °C / 55 °F, relative humidity 60%.
May · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 29 °C / 84 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 78%, precipitation 85 mm / 3.3 in, average daily high 28.1 °C / 83 °F, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, wet days 9.3 days, average daily low 17.3 °C / 63 °F, relative humidity 65%.
September · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 80%, precipitation 86 mm / 3.4 in, days with heavy rain 2 days, wet days 8.5 days, average daily high 29.3 °C / 85 °F, average daily low 19.5 °C / 67 °F, relative humidity 72%.
Against: feels like (high) 31.6 °C / 89 °F.
October · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 24.2 °C / 76 °F, average daily high 24.3 °C / 76 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 77%, precipitation 77 mm / 3 in, wet days 6.7 days, days with heavy rain 2.4 days, average daily low 13.1 °C / 56 °F, relative humidity 71%.
November · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 16.8 °C / 62 °F, average daily high 18.8 °C / 66 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 75%, precipitation 71 mm / 2.8 in, wet days 7.3 days, days with heavy rain 2 days, relative humidity 67%, average daily low 7.2 °C / 45 °F.
December · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 65%, feels like (high) 13.1 °C / 56 °F, average daily high 15.3 °C / 60 °F, precipitation 104 mm / 4.1 in, wet days 9 days, days with heavy rain 3.2 days, relative humidity 71%, average daily low 5.1 °C / 41 °F.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Sugar Mountain Resort, 248 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 10.4 °C | 13.1 °C | 17.8 °C | 23.6 °C | 29 °C | 34.7 °C | 36.9 °C | 35.8 °C | 31.6 °C | 24.2 °C | 16.8 °C | 13.1 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 3 days | 2.8 days | 2.9 days | 2.9 days | 2.5 days | 2.6 days | 3.5 days | 4.2 days | 2 days | 2.4 days | 2 days | 3.2 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 5 pm | 11 am | 6 pm | 5 pm | 5 pm | 7 pm | 6 pm | 6 pm | 6 pm | 5 am | 11 am | 10 am |
| Sunshine per day | 7.2 h | 7.7 h | 8.5 h | 10.6 h | 10.9 h | 11.9 h | 11.7 h | 10.9 h | 9.9 h | 8.7 h | 7.8 h | 6.5 h |
| Relative humidity | 66% | 64% | 60% | 60% | 65% | 68% | 71% | 75% | 72% | 71% | 67% | 71% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 8.2 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ | 9 µg/m³ | 7.9 µg/m³ | 10 µg/m³ | 13.3 µg/m³ | 14 µg/m³ | 11.6 µg/m³ | 9.8 µg/m³ | 7.3 µg/m³ | 7.8 µg/m³ | 8.6 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 14.2 µg/m³ | 14.8 µg/m³ | 15.5 µg/m³ | 12.9 µg/m³ | 16.5 µg/m³ | 19.5 µg/m³ | 19.7 µg/m³ | 17 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ | 11.1 µg/m³ | 13.1 µg/m³ | 15.3 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.