Climate · Waterloo

Waterloo, SC climate

Waterloo has mild winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 91°, a January night drops to 33°, and snow is almost unheard of.

NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals Updated once a decade
July high
91°
227th hottest of 475 South Carolina towns
January low
33°
174th coldest of 475 South Carolina towns
Rain + melted snow
46 in
105th driest of 475 South Carolina towns
Snow a winter
0.7 in
221st snowiest of 452 South Carolina towns
A normal year

What a year in Waterloo feels like

Winter

56° / 34°
Typical high / low · Snow is rare

Spring

74° / 49°
Typical high / low · Last frost around Mar 22

Summer

90° / 68°
Typical high / low · 56 days reach 90° in a normal year

Fall

74° / 51°
Typical high / low · First frost around Nov 13
Best months to be outsideMarAprMaySepOctNovHighs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more
Month by month

Waterloo weather by month

Average highs, lows, rain and snow for every month, from NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals.

MonthHighLowRain + meltSnowWet daysSnow on ground30-yr range
January54°33°4.1" 0.2"100 37° – 50°
February58°35°3.8" 0.1"90 39° – 55°
March66°41°4.5" 0100 47° – 63°
April75°49°3.3" 080 57° – 67°
May82°58°3.5" 080 65° – 74°
June88°66°4.2" 0100 73° – 81°
July91°70°3.8" 090 78° – 85°
August90°69°4.1" 080 76° – 85°
September84°62°3.5" 070 71° – 79°
October74°51°3.2" 060 58° – 67°
November64°40°3.6" 080 47° – 58°
December56°35°4.4" 0.4"100 37° – 56°
Year73°51°46.0"0.7"1010

“Wet days” have at least 0.01" of rain or melted snow. “Snow on ground” counts days with 1" or more. The 30-year range is the coldest and warmest that month’s average temperature got between 1991 and 2020.

Rain & snow

Rain and snow in Waterloo

Waterloo gets 46 inches of rain and melted snow a year. March is the wettest month and October the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 101 days a year.

46 in
Rain + melted snow a year
More rain than 73% of U.S. towns
0.7 in
Snow in a normal winter
Less snow than 87% of U.S. towns
0 days
With 1"+ of snow on the ground
Fewer than 94% of U.S. towns

Rain + melted snow by month

Inches of water
4.5"

Snowfall by month

About 0.7" in a normal year, so most winters see none.
Frost & the growing season

About 236 frost-free days a year

In half of years the last 32° night comes by March 22 and the first one by November 13. That leaves about 236 frost-free days for gardens, longer than 87% of U.S. towns.

54
nights at or below 32° in a normal year
0
nights below 0° in a normal year
56
days that reach 90° in a normal year

Freezing nights by month

Average nights at or below 32°

90° days by month

Average days at 90° or more
Heating & cooling

Heating and cooling a home in Waterloo

Engineers use “degree days” to estimate how hard a furnace or air conditioner works. In Waterloo, 62% of that work is heating and 38% is cooling.

62%heating
2,896 heating degree daysLess heating than 86% of U.S. towns
1,800 cooling degree daysMore cooling than 85% of U.S. towns

Degree days measure how far each day’s average temperature falls below or rises above 65°, added up over a year. Source: NOAA station normals.

Compared with other towns

How Waterloo compares

Summer heat91° July high
Hotter than 85% of U.S. towns227th hottest of 475 South Carolina towns
Winter cold33° January low
Milder than 85% of U.S. towns174th coldest of 475 South Carolina towns
Precipitation46" a year
Wetter than 73% of U.S. towns105th driest of 475 South Carolina towns
Snow0.7" a winter
Less snow than 87% of U.S. towns221st snowiest of 452 South Carolina towns
Growing season236 frost-free days
Longer than 87% of U.S. towns164th longest of 475 South Carolina towns
South Carolina climate rankingsSnowiest, mildest, wettest and more in SC →

Compared with every U.S. town and city on TownTapestry, each counted once.

Then and now

Warmer than it used to be

+0.8°1991–2020 average vs. the 20th century (1901–2000)

The last 30 years in Waterloo averaged 0.8° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in December (+2.0°). The shift is smaller than in 85% of U.S. towns.

❄️ Winter+1.7° now 45°, was 44°
🌷 Spring+0.7° now 62°, was 61°
☀️ Summer+0.3° now 79°, was 79°
🍂 Fall+0.5° now 63°, was 62°

Change by month1991–2020 average minus 1901–2000 average, at Waterloo’s spot on NOAA’s grid

Year to year

How much a month can swing

A normal is an average, and real years wander around it. December swings the most: between 1991 and 2020 its average temperature ranged from 37° to 56°. July is the most reliable, staying within 7°.

Coldest to warmest month in 30 yearsNormal
Questions

Common questions about Waterloo’s climate

What is the coldest month in Waterloo?

January, with a typical high of 54° and a low of 33°.

What is the hottest month in Waterloo?

July, with a typical high of 91° and a low of 70°. About 56 days a year reach 90°.

How much snow does Waterloo get?

Almost none. A normal year brings 0.7 inches.

When is the first frost in Waterloo?

In half of years the first 32° night comes by November 13, and the last spring frost by March 22.

What is the rainiest month in Waterloo?

March, with 4.5 inches of rain and melted snow. The year totals 46 inches.

Temperatures and rainfall come from NOAA’s gridded climate normals for Waterloo itself (about a 3-mile square). Snow, frost dates and day counts come from NOAA’s weather station at Ware Shoals 2, SC (11 mi, snow) and Greenwood 8ne, SC (7 mi, frost, heat and degree days). Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000.

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