Hilton Head Weather by Month

Winters are mild, with highs in the low 60s and lows around 40. Spring warms quickly, with March highs near 69 and April in the mid-70s. Summers are hot and humid, with highs near 90 in July, and fall is comfortable, with October highs in the upper 70s. The table above lists the average high, low, rainfall and ocean temperature for all 12 months.

April and October are the easiest: highs in the mid-to-upper 70s, low humidity and about 3 to 4 inches of rain. May is a good choice if you want warmer ocean water, and September and October are quieter after the summer crowds. For crowds and rates too, see the best time to visit Hilton Head.

May through October. The ocean averages about 76° in May, 81 to 85° from June through September and 72° in October. From November to April it runs from the low 50s to the upper 60s, which most swimmers find too cold.

Yes, for golf, tennis, biking and quiet beaches. December through February has highs in the low 60s and lows in the low 40s, with sunny days common, but the ocean is too cold for most swimmers. Rental and hotel rates are at their lowest outside the holidays; see the best time to visit Hilton Head for crowds and rates by season.

August, with about 6.5 inches on average. June through September is the wet season, at 5.5 to 6.5 inches a month, mostly from short afternoon thunderstorms. November is the driest month, at about 2.6 inches.

Not for long. January, the coolest month, averages a high of 60° and a low of 40°. Freezing nights are occasional, and snow is rare.

The forecast section near the top of this page shows the next 16 days for Hilton Head Island, with each day’s high, low and chance of rain, plus an hourly strip for today and the radar. It updates through the day. Forecasts are most reliable for the first few days.

The ocean averages in the low 50s in January and reaches the mid-80s in July and August. It is in the mid-70s by May and holds above 70 into October, which is the range most swimmers are comfortable with.

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30. On this coast the risk is greatest from August through October, so the late-summer months are the ones to book with flexible or refundable terms.

January is the coolest month, with highs near 60 and lows near 40. Temperatures climb through spring to highs near 90 in July, the hottest month, then ease back through fall to the low 60s by December. August and September are the wettest, and November is the driest. The month table on this page has all 12.

Over the year the average high runs from 60 in January to 90 in July, and the average low from 40 in January to 73 in July. Spring and fall sit in between, with April highs near 76 and October highs near 78.

Reliable day-by-day forecasts stop at about two weeks. The 16-day forecast on this page is the longest one available, and for a trip further out the month-by-month averages are the better guide to what to pack.

Rarely: snow in Hilton Head, SC, is unusual enough that most years pass without any. The National Weather Service recorded about 4.5 inches on the island on January 3, 2018, and about 3 to 3.5 inches on January 22, 2025, its first snow since 2018. The best-remembered snow fell just before Christmas 1989, when about 5 inches were measured at Beaufort. See when it has snowed on Hilton Head for the full list.

It depends on the season. Around the longest day in late June the sun rises at about 6:15 a.m. and sets at about 8:30 p.m.; around the shortest, in late December, it rises at about 7:20 a.m. and sets at about 5:20 p.m. Today’s times are in the sunrise and sunset section above, and each month’s page lists its own.

July is the hottest, with an average high around 90. January is the coolest, with an average low around 40.