James Island, South Carolina Weather
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias. Day 76 of spring. Read this microseason across nine climate regions →
James Island weather forecast — hour by hour, 7-day outlook, NOAA radar
- TodayJun 3Foggy——77°59°—
- ThursdayJun 4Clear——80°60°+3°
- FridayJun 5Partly Cloudy——80°62°0°
- SaturdayJun 6Overcast——83°69°+3°
- SundayJun 7Overcast11%—86°71°+3°
- MondayJun 8Overcast40%—89°73°+3°
- TuesdayJun 9Overcast37%—77°73°-12°
Ozone at AQI 65 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. AQI up 8 over the last 6 hours (gradual rise). Levels should ease through evening.
OK No precautions needed for the general population; unusually sensitive individuals may consider limiting prolonged outdoor exertion.
What's driving it
Ozone × UV × Sky
Ozone at AQI 65 — peak already passed at 1 PM under clear skies. Levels should ease through evening.
- Present
- AQI 65
- UV peak
- 6.2 at earlier today
- Sky at peak
- clear
- Projected peak
- AQI 65
PM × Wind × Precip
PM2.5 at 6.8 µg/m³, PM10 at 7.9 µg/m³ — typical background levels with no transport signature.
- PM2.5/PM10
- 0.86
- Wind
- breezy
- Recent rain
- 0h in last 6h
- Pattern
- background
Trends
Seven days of AQI and PM2.5.
Hourly air-quality data from the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, charted across the past and next several days. Dashed lines mark the AQI breakpoints at 50 (Good → Moderate) and 100 (Moderate → Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups).
The higher the clouds, the finer the weather.
- Moonrise
- 2:46 AM
- Moonset
- 12:41 PM
- In sign
- ♑︎ Capricorn
Fireflies pulse through the magnolias
James Island at a glance
- Today vs. normal: 5°F below the seasonal normal for this latitude
- Last frost: March 3 (climatological average for this latitude)
- Microseason: Jun 1–5
- Planting window: Harvest spring lettuce before it bolts. Sow heat-tolerant greens.
Right now in the garden
Peak growing season
As of June 3, the growing season is at its peak — frost is months away. Continue succession-planting beans and summer squash. Start fall brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, kale) from seed indoors for transplanting in late summer.
Planting calendar
| Month | Plant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|
| January | — | — |
| February | — | — |
| March | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes | — |
| April | lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes, tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | — |
| May | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| June | tomatoes, peppers, beans, squash | lettuce, peas, radishes |
| July | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| August | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| September | — | tomatoes, beans, summer squash |
| October | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | winter squash, tomatoes (last) |
| November | fall brassicas, garlic (overwinter), carrots | — |
| December | — | — |
A year in weather
James Island's warmest month is July (~82°F mean) and its coldest is January (~51°F). Rainfall peaks in August (6.1 inches) and bottoms out in November (2.3 inches).
| Month | Mean temp | Precip | Rainy days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 2.6″ | 5 |
| February | 53° | 2.6″ | 5 |
| March | 59° | 3.0″ | 5 |
| April | 66° | 3.0″ | 5 |
| May | 74° | 2.6″ | 4 |
| June | 79° | 4.8″ | 7 |
| July | 82° | 5.1″ | 8 |
| August | 81° | 6.1″ | 8 |
| September | 78° | 5.3″ | 6 |
| October | 69° | 4.1″ | 5 |
| November | 60° | 2.3″ | 4 |
| December | 54° | 2.9″ | 5 |
Regional context
James Island sits within a humid subtropical climate region — a cohort that shares similar temperature ranges, seasonal patterns, and growing conditions across nearby cities.
Similar climates: Charleston, SC, Columbia, SC, Greenville, SC, Myrtle Beach, SC, Rock Hill, SC.
Frequently asked
- When does it freeze in James Island?
- James Island's last spring frost typically falls around mid-March, and the first fall frost arrives around mid-December.
- What is the rainy season in James Island?
- August is the wettest month with about 6.1 inches of rain on average; the city receives roughly 44 inches annually.
- What is the warmest month in James Island?
- July is typically warmest, averaging about 82°F.
- What is the coldest month in James Island?
- January is typically coldest, averaging about 51°F.
- When can I start a vegetable garden in James Island?
- Cool-season crops (peas, lettuce) can be sown around the last spring frost (mid-March); warm-season crops (tomatoes, peppers) wait until 1–2 weeks after.
- How many rainy days does James Island get?
- James Island averages about 65 rainy days per year.
- What hardiness zone is James Island?
- James Island's USDA hardiness zone is determined by its lowest average winter temperature; check the USDA's online lookup with the city ZIP for the current zone designation.
Climate
James Island, South Carolina sits in a humid subtropical climate zone. January means hover near 51°F while July averages 82°F — a 32°F seasonal swing.
Across the year, James Island receives about 44 inches of precipitation spread over roughly 65 rainy days.
The rhythm of the year is set by latitude (32.7°N), proximity to large water bodies, and elevation — all of which shape what grows here, when frost is likely, and what the weather story looks like day to day.