Best time to visit Hilton Head Island
The best time to visit Hilton Head Island is March–April and October–November, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Hilton Head Island, 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 | 14.8 °C / 59 °F | 7.5 °C / 46 °F | 75 mm / 3 in | good month |
| February | 16.5 °C / 62 °F | 9.3 °C / 49 °F | 78 mm / 3.1 in | good month |
| March | 19.3 °C / 67 °F | 12.2 °C / 54 °F | 74 mm / 2.9 in | best month |
| April | 22.6 °C / 73 °F | 16.1 °C / 61 °F | 70 mm / 2.8 in | best month |
| May | 26.1 °C / 79 °F | 20.4 °C / 69 °F | 76 mm / 3 in | good month |
| June | 29.2 °C / 85 °F | 24 °C / 75 °F | 108 mm / 4.2 in | neither best nor good |
| July | 30.5 °C / 87 °F | 25.4 °C / 78 °F | 121 mm / 4.8 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 30 °C / 86 °F | 25.3 °C / 78 °F | 182 mm / 7.2 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 28.2 °C / 83 °F | 23 °C / 73 °F | 120 mm / 4.7 in | neither best nor good |
| October | 24.4 °C / 76 °F | 17.9 °C / 64 °F | 80 mm / 3.2 in | best month |
| November | 19.6 °C / 67 °F | 12.2 °C / 54 °F | 57 mm / 2.3 in | best month |
| December | 16.8 °C / 62 °F | 9.9 °C / 50 °F | 87 mm / 3.4 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: neither
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: good
- Best
- March–April, October–November
- Good
- May, December–February
Why these months
January · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 76%, precipitation 75 mm / 3 in, average daily high 14.8 °C / 59 °F, wet days 8.2 days, days with heavy rain 2.8 days, average daily low 7.5 °C / 46 °F, relative humidity 71%.
Against: feels like (high) 12.2 °C / 54 °F.
February · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 14.6 °C / 58 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 76%, precipitation 78 mm / 3.1 in, average daily high 16.5 °C / 62 °F, wet days 8.8 days, days with heavy rain 2.6 days, average daily low 9.3 °C / 49 °F, relative humidity 73%.
March · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 18.1 °C / 65 °F, average daily high 19.3 °C / 67 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, precipitation 74 mm / 2.9 in, wet days 7.5 days, days with heavy rain 2.7 days, average daily low 12.2 °C / 54 °F, relative humidity 71%.
April · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22.9 °C / 73 °F, average daily high 22.6 °C / 73 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 86%, precipitation 70 mm / 2.8 in, wet days 6.7 days, days with heavy rain 2.4 days, average daily low 16.1 °C / 61 °F, relative humidity 72%.
May · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 28.3 °C / 83 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, average daily high 26.1 °C / 79 °F, precipitation 76 mm / 3 in, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, wet days 9.6 days, average daily low 20.4 °C / 69 °F, relative humidity 75%.
October · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 25.3 °C / 78 °F, average daily high 24.4 °C / 76 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, precipitation 80 mm / 3.2 in, wet days 7.5 days, days with heavy rain 2.3 days, average daily low 17.9 °C / 64 °F, relative humidity 75%.
November · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 18.4 °C / 65 °F, average daily high 19.6 °C / 67 °F, precipitation 57 mm / 2.3 in, share of daylight that is sunny 80%, wet days 6.3 days, days with heavy rain 1.9 days, average daily low 12.2 °C / 54 °F, relative humidity 74%.
December · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 15.2 °C / 59 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 72%, average daily high 16.8 °C / 62 °F, precipitation 87 mm / 3.4 in, wet days 8.8 days, days with heavy rain 2.9 days, average daily low 9.9 °C / 50 °F, relative humidity 76%.
Beach and swimming
Hot, dry and sunny. Penalises the monsoon hard.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: good
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: good
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- May
- Good
- April, June, September–October
Why these months
April · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 86%, precipitation 70 mm / 2.8 in, wet days 6.7 days, days with heavy rain 2.4 days, wind (daily max) 22 km/h / 14 mph, average daily low 16.1 °C / 61 °F.
Against: average daily high 22.6 °C / 73 °F, feels like (high) 22.9 °C / 73 °F.
May · best
In its favour: average daily high 26.1 °C / 79 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, precipitation 76 mm / 3 in, feels like (high) 28.3 °C / 83 °F, days with heavy rain 2.5 days, average daily low 20.4 °C / 69 °F, wind (daily max) 21 km/h / 13 mph.
Against: wet days 9.6 days.
June · good
In its favour: average daily high 29.2 °C / 85 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 84%, feels like (high) 33.6 °C / 92 °F, days with heavy rain 3.1 days, average daily low 24 °C / 75 °F, wind (daily max) 20 km/h / 12 mph.
Against: wet days 14.1 days, precipitation 108 mm / 4.2 in.
September · good
In its favour: average daily high 28.2 °C / 83 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, feels like (high) 31.5 °C / 89 °F, days with heavy rain 3.3 days, average daily low 23 °C / 73 °F, wind (daily max) 19 km/h / 12 mph.
Against: precipitation 120 mm / 4.7 in, wet days 12.6 days.
October · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 83%, average daily high 24.4 °C / 76 °F, precipitation 80 mm / 3.2 in, feels like (high) 25.3 °C / 78 °F, days with heavy rain 2.3 days, wet days 7.5 days, wind (daily max) 20 km/h / 12 mph, average daily low 17.9 °C / 64 °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, 449 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) | 12.2 °C | 14.6 °C | 18.1 °C | 22.9 °C | 28.3 °C | 33.6 °C | 35.7 °C | 35.1 °C | 31.5 °C | 25.3 °C | 18.4 °C | 15.2 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 2.8 days | 2.6 days | 2.7 days | 2.4 days | 2.5 days | 3.1 days | 3.6 days | 5 days | 3.3 days | 2.3 days | 1.9 days | 2.9 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 5 am | 12 am | 7 pm | 10 am | 4 pm | 4 pm | 4 pm | 4 pm | 2 pm | 4 pm | 1 pm | 6 am |
| Sunshine per day | 7.8 h | 8.4 h | 9.5 h | 11.2 h | 11.7 h | 11.9 h | 11.9 h | 11.1 h | 10.2 h | 9.4 h | 8.4 h | 7.3 h |
| Relative humidity | 71% | 73% | 71% | 72% | 75% | 78% | 79% | 81% | 79% | 75% | 74% | 76% |
Sea temperature
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature 2022–2025 | 11.4 °C | 13.5 °C | 16.7 °C | 21 °C | 25 °C | 27.7 °C | 30.5 °C | 29.8 °C | 27.3 °C | 22.8 °C | 18.7 °C | 13.8 °C |
| Sea temperature (daily max) 2022–2025 | 11.6 °C | 13.7 °C | 17 °C | 21.4 °C | 25.3 °C | 28 °C | 30.8 °C | 30.1 °C | 27.5 °C | 23 °C | 18.9 °C | 14 °C |
- Very cold 10 °C or less
- Cold 10 to 15 °C
- Cool 15 to 20 °C
- Comfortable 20 to 25 °C
- Warm 25 to 28 °C
- Very warm over 28 °C
The words describe how the water feels to swim in. They are ours, not an official standard.
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 | 8.6 µg/m³ | 9.3 µg/m³ | 9.7 µg/m³ | 9.1 µg/m³ | 9.8 µg/m³ | 13.3 µg/m³ | 16.5 µg/m³ | 10.1 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ | 7.7 µg/m³ | 8 µg/m³ | 6.6 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 15.8 µg/m³ | 14.3 µg/m³ | 16.6 µg/m³ | 12.9 µg/m³ | 15 µg/m³ | 24 µg/m³ | 36.1 µg/m³ | 14.9 µg/m³ | 11.5 µg/m³ | 11.3 µg/m³ | 12.2 µg/m³ | 10.3 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.