Season guide · Charleston · United States
Charleston in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Brian Stansberry, CC BY 3.0
Quick answer
Mild days, chilly nights and quiet streets; the lowest hotel rates outside the Christmas holidays. Expect highs up to 17°C (63°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 26 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 4°C (39°F) to 17°C (63°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 26
- Sea
- 13°C (55°F) to 15°C (59°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 15°C (59°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 9 | 10.2 h | 1/5 |
| February | 17°C (63°F) | 6°C (43°F) | 9 | 11 h | 2/5 |
| December | 17°C (63°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 8 | 10 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 16°C (61°F) against a yearly 25°C (77°F), and 26 of the year's roughly 112 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Lowcountry Oyster Festival at Boone Hall (usually late January or February)
- February: Southeastern Wildlife Exposition (usually mid-February)
- December: Christmas parade and boat parade (usually early December)
Good choices for winter
Museum · Upper King
The Charleston Museum
It faces the visitor centre on Meeting Street, so it is an easy first stop to get your bearings on a rainy morning.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Historic site · French Quarter and Market area
Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon
Built between 1767 and 1771 at the foot of Broad Street, the Exchange was a customs house and the place where South Carolina ratified the US Constitution; George Washington was entertained here in 1791.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Rainy day
Aquarium · Ansonborough
South Carolina Aquarium
Combine it with a Fort Sumter ferry from the same dock for an easy family half-day.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
- Nature
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Museum · Mount Pleasant
Patriots Point and USS Yorktown
The Second World War aircraft carrier USS Yorktown is moored at Mount Pleasant as a naval museum, with aircraft on the flight deck and hangar, plus the destroyer USS Laffey alongside.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- History
- Views
- Rainy day
Market · French Quarter and Market area
Charleston City Market
Buy sweetgrass baskets directly from the weavers, who often make them on the spot and can tell you how long each one took.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Shopping
- Kids
- Rainy day
Day trips in winter
- Edisto Island (About 1 hour 15 minutes by car) — A low-key Sea Island with oak-canopied roads, a state park beach known for fossil and shark-tooth hunting, and no high-rise development.
- Congaree National Park (About 2 hours by car) — A floodplain forest of some of the tallest trees in eastern North America, explored on a raised boardwalk loop or by canoe along Cedar Creek.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Charleston?
It is a trade-off: Mild days, chilly nights and quiet streets; the lowest hotel rates outside the Christmas holidays. The best months overall are March–May and October–November.
+What is the weather like in Charleston in winter?
Highs of up to 17°C (63°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 26 rainy days over the season.