Climate of the Rock Hill, South Carolina area

The Climate of the Rock Hill, South Carolina area is that of a humid subtropical climate, Cfa in the Köppen climate classification, characterized by hot, humid summers and cool winters. There little difference in the amount of precipitation between summer and winter seasons. Rock Hill, South Carolina, located in York County, is a southern satellite city of Charlotte, North Carolina and as such experiences a climate similar to that of Charlotte. Located south of Charlotte, Rock Hill's temperatures are slightly higher than Charlotte's, even given the increased warmth in Charlotte's city center due to the urban heat island effect. For example, the mean temperatures in Charlotte are 45°F (7°C) in February, and 52°F (11°C) in November, compared to Rock Hill's February and November mean temperatures of 46°F (8°C) and 53°F (12°C), respectively.

Temperatures

As in most humid subtropical climates, the Rock Hill area experiences differences in temperature between the seasons, but not as severely as do continental climates, such as those of United States cities lying further inland. The coldest month of the year in Rock hill and its surrounding area is January, with an average high temperature of 52°F (11°C) and an average low temperature of 32°F (0°C), for a mean temperature of 42°F (6°C). The warmest month of the year is July, with an average high temperature of 90°F (32°C), an average low temperature of 70°F (21°C), for a mean temperature of 80°F (27°C). The warmest temperature on record in Rock Hill is 106°F (42°C), on August 21, 1983. The coldest temperature on record in Rock Hill is -4°F (-20°C), recorded on January 21, 1985

Precipitation

Rock Hill and the surrounding area receives a large amount of precipitation throughout the year, with at least 3.3 in (84 mm) of precipitation occurring each month on average. The wettest month of the year is March, when 5.04 in (128 mm) of precipitation falls, and the driest month of the year is April, which sees only 3.33 in (84.6 mm) of precipitation. Total yearly precipitation averages 52.32 inches (1,329 mm). Throughout the year, the vast majority of precipitation falls as rain, as the city's area averages only 5.5 in (0.14 m) of snow every year.