Charleston, WV Climate & Monthly Averages
The climate of Charleston
Seasons are the whole story in Charleston. The gap between an average July and an average January is 22°C - hot, humid summers and generally mild winters - which in practice means 85°F (30°C) afternoons at one end of the calendar and 44°F (6°C) at the other.
Climate quick facts
- Hottest month: July - highs near 85°F (30°C)
- Coldest month: January - highs near 44°F (6°C)
- Decade extremes (2015-2024): 96°F (36°C) high · -13°F (-25°C) low
- Wettest month: July (15 rainy days) · Sunniest: June (11.7 h sun/day)
- Climate type: humid subtropical
- Annual swing: 22°C between the average warmest and coolest month · day to night: 10°C
- Snow: about 9 days a year
- Months with freezing average lows: 2
- Average humidity: 72%
Temperatures through the year
January sits at the other end of the year: 44°F (6°C) by day, 28°F (-2°C) at night. At its warmest, in July, Charleston runs to 85°F (30°C) in the afternoon and back to 68°F (20°C) by dawn. Across the gridded 2015-2024 daily record, the highest daily maximum for this location was 96°F (36°C) and the lowest daily minimum -13°F (-25°C). Snow falls on roughly 9 days a year, mostly December through April.
Rain, sun and snow
Overnight lows average at or below freezing for 2 months, January through February. July is the wettest month at 5.3 inches (135 mm) over 15 days; November is the driest.
How Charleston compares
- Charleston sits close to the middle of our dataset on most measures: 57°F (14°C) as an annual average, 52.0 inches (1320 mm) of precipitation and 8.5 hours of sun a day.
Ranked against every city in our dataset, each measured on the same ten-year window.
Monthly climate table
| Month | High | Low | Rain days | Precipitation | Sunshine | Daylight | Wet-day chance | Humidity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 44° | 28° | 13 | 4.2 in | 5.1 h/day | 9.8 h | 41% | 70% |
| February | 50° | 31° | 13 | 5.2 in | 6.2 h/day | 10.7 h | 45% | 68% |
| March | 57° | 37° | 13 | 4.3 in | 7.5 h/day | 11.8 h | 41% | 66% |
| April | 66° | 46° | 13 | 4.3 in | 8.9 h/day | 13.1 h | 43% | 68% |
| May | 74° | 56° | 16 | 5.2 in | 10.1 h/day | 14.2 h | 50% | 76% |
| June | 81° | 63° | 14 | 4.8 in | 11.7 h/day | 14.8 h | 48% | 75% |
| July | 85° | 68° | 15 | 5.3 in | 11.3 h/day | 14.6 h | 48% | 77% |
| August | 83° | 66° | 14 | 4.6 in | 10.9 h/day | 13.6 h | 45% | 78% |
| September | 79° | 61° | 8 | 3.7 in | 9.7 h/day | 12.4 h | 28% | 75% |
| October | 69° | 51° | 9 | 3.3 in | 8.2 h/day | 11.1 h | 28% | 72% |
| November | 57° | 39° | 10 | 2.9 in | 6.8 h/day | 10.0 h | 34% | 69% |
| December | 50° | 34° | 13 | 4.0 in | 5.2 h/day | 9.5 h | 41% | 72% |
Charleston month by month
Average high and low for each month, with the bar showing where it sits in Charleston's year (left is the coldest night, right is the warmest afternoon).
January
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 5.1 h
- Daylight
- 9.8 h
- Snow
- 3 days
February
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 6.2 h
- Daylight
- 10.7 h
- Snow
- 3 days
March
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 7.5 h
- Daylight
- 11.8 h
- Snow
- 1 day
April
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 8.9 h
- Daylight
- 13.1 h
May
- Rain
- 16 days
- Sunshine
- 10.1 h
- Daylight
- 14.2 h
June
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 11.7 h
- Daylight
- 14.8 h
July
- Rain
- 15 days
- Sunshine
- 11.3 h
- Daylight
- 14.6 h
August
- Rain
- 14 days
- Sunshine
- 10.9 h
- Daylight
- 13.6 h
September
- Rain
- 8 days
- Sunshine
- 9.7 h
- Daylight
- 12.4 h
October
- Rain
- 9 days
- Sunshine
- 8.2 h
- Daylight
- 11.1 h
November
- Rain
- 10 days
- Sunshine
- 6.8 h
- Daylight
- 10.0 h
December
- Rain
- 13 days
- Sunshine
- 5.2 h
- Daylight
- 9.5 h
- Snow
- 2 days
Warmer places to go, by month: January · February · March · April · May · June · July · August · September · October · November · December
Seasons in Charleston
Spring (March through May)
Spring in Charleston is mild, with daytime highs averaging 66°F (19°C) and nights around 46°F (8°C); rain falls on around 41 of the 90 days.
Summer (June through August)
Through summer, Charleston brings hot afternoons: 83°F (28°C) by day, 66°F (19°C) after dark, and rain falls on around 43 of the 90 days. Daylight is generous - around 11.3 hours of sun a day. With the moisture factored in, afternoons feel hotter than the reading suggests - the humidity and dew point converter shows why.
Fall (September through November)
Fall brings comfortable warmth here - highs near 68°F (20°C), nights near 50°F (10°C), and expect showers on roughly 27 days across the season.
Winter (December through February)
Winter in Charleston is brisk and cold, with daytime highs averaging 48°F (9°C) and nights around 31°F (-1°C); rain falls on around 38 of the 90 days, plus about 7 snowy days.
Climate questions, answered
How sunny is Charleston?
How many rainy days does Charleston get in a year?
How humid does Charleston get?
What should I wear in Charleston?
What is the average temperature in Charleston?
Best time to visit Charleston
April to June and August to October is the sweet spot for Charleston - warm days, manageable rainfall and plenty of daylight line up. Expect 75°F (24°C) in the afternoon and around 12 days of rain in a typical month of it. For the same question asked the other way round, see where else is warm in April.
Pack for Charleston with light clothing for the warm months, a warm jacket and layers for the cooler season and proper waterproofs rather than an umbrella - wet days are the norm here. Even in July, lows of 68°F (20°C) make an extra layer worth the space.
Charleston temperature records (2015-2024)
Derived from ERA5 reanalysis data, 2015–2024. Official station records may differ. Need the precipitation in other units? The mm-to-inches rainfall converter handles it.