Record Hottest and Coldest Weather Temperatures Ever Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina

Weather temperatures have been officially kept in the capital city of Columbia, South Carolina since 1887. These are the all-time record hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in Columbia since 1948.

Located in central South Carolina where the Saluda and Broad Rivers merge to form the Congaree River, the capital city of Columbia has a slightly milder climate than the extremes found in the Palmetto State. This is born out by the differences between the all-time hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in Columbia, compared to the all-time hottest and coldest temperatures recorded in South Carolina.

The difference between the all-time hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in Columbia is 111 degrees. The difference between the all-time hottest and coldest temperatures ever recorded in the state of South Carolina is 130 degrees; a difference of 19 degrees.

Record Hottest and Coldest Temperatures Ever Recorded in Columbia, South Carolina

All-time Record Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded in Columbia is 109 Degrees

The hottest weather temperature ever officially recorded in the capital city of Columbia is 109 degrees, which has occurred on two different dates. The first time it was a record high of 109 degrees in Columbia was on June 29, 2012, and the second time was one day later on June 30, 2012.

Days when the temperature soars to 100 degrees or above or fairly common in Columbia, as the city averages 5 to 6 days a year when the temperature rises to the century mark or above. The earliest 100 degree temperature day in any year since 1887 in Columbia is May 22nd, and the latest is October 5th. Columbia averages 72 days a year when the temperature rises to 90 degrees or above.

In addition to being the capital city, Columbia is also the largest population city in South Carolina. Home to the University of South Carolina, Columbia is a vibrant city that was named one of the ten great places to live in America by Kiplinger in 2013.

The greater Columbia metro area contains almost 800,000 people. Columbia is an attractive place for people to live due to its affordability and its great weather and climate.

As a bit of weather trivia some might find hard to believe, the record hottest temperature in Columbia of 109 degrees is nine degrees hotter than the all-time hottest temperature ever recorded in Miami, Florida. Columbia is roughly 600 miles north of Miami.

• Hottest Temperature Ever Recorded in South Carolina is 111 Degrees 

The all-time record hottest weather temperature ever recorded in the state of South Carolina is 111 degrees, which occurred on June 28, 1954, in Camden, which is located about 30 miles northeast of Columbia.

The difference between the all-time hottest temperature ever recorded in Columbia (109) and the all-time hottest temperature ever recorded in the state of South Carolina (111) is just two degrees. Not much of a statistical difference.

All-time Record Coldest Temperature Ever Recorded in Columbia is -2 Degrees

The coldest temperature ever officially recorded in Columbia is -2 degrees, which occurred on February 13, 1899.

Columbia is generally a warm weather city with mild winters. Cold spells can occur, though, as Columbia also had a temperature reading of -1 degrees on January 21, 1985, but the cold spells usually don't last very long. Columbia averages 55 days a year when the temperature drops below the freezing mark.

• Coldest Temperature Ever Recorded in South Carolina is -19 Degrees 

The coldest weather temperature ever officially recorded in the state of South Carolina is -19 degrees, which occurred on January 21, 1985, at Caesars Head, which located about 130 miles northwest of Columbia.

Caesars Head is a granite mountain located in Caesars Head State Park that has an elevation of 3,208 feet. It is a popular tourist attraction in South Carolina that offers fantastic views on clear days. There's also a pretty cool 420 foot high cascading waterfall located near Caesars Head called Raven Cliff Falls that is well worth visiting.

The difference between the all-time coldest temperature ever recorded in Columbia (-2) and the all-time coldest temperature ever recorded in the state of South Carolina (-19) is 17 degrees. A pretty big statistical difference.

Overall, the city of Columbia has a milder climate than the extremes found in the Palmetto State of South Carolina. While Columbia gets almost as hot as anywhere in South Carolina in the summer, the capital city stays considerably warmer than the coldest places in the Palmetto State in winter.