Columbia weather in August

In August, Columbia sees average daytime highs of 89°F and overnight lows near 72°F, with 4.2 in of rain across 13.4 wet days and about 13.3 hours of daylight. It is the 2nd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 89°F through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in August, and the air most often feels oppressive.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 42 min at the start of August to 12 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, August is Columbia's 10th-clearest and 12th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Columbia's year-round climate.

Daytime high
89°
2nd warmest
Overnight low
72°
11th coldest
Rainfall
4.2 in
13.4 wet days
Daylight
13 h 18 min
5:50 AM – 7:07 PM
Cloud cover
59%
10th clearest
Wind
5 mph
12th windiest
Solar energy
5.39 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.9
out of 10

Columbia is capital city of the U.S. state of South Carolina and seat of Richland County.

Density
416/km²
people per km²
Founded
1787

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in August

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 89°F through the month.

A typical August day in Columbia reaches about 89°F in the afternoon and slips back to 72°F overnight — a 17°F spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 83°F and 95°F. Set against its neighbours, August runs about 2°F cooler than July and about 5°F warmer than September.

60°70°80°90°100°151015202531
Avg high (°F)Avg low (°F)
19073
29073
39073
49073
59073
68973
78973
88973
98973
108973
118973
128973
138973
148973
158973
168973
178972
188972
198972
208972
218972
228972
238872
248871
258871
268871
278871
288871
298871
308770
318770

How August really feels in Columbia

Once humidity and wind are folded in, August averages 31 days that feel above 90°F and 0 that feel at or below 32°F — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 90°F
31
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ 32°F
0
wind chill below the day's low

The story in August is heat — humidity pushes the afternoon "feels like" well above the raw temperature.

Columbia weather by month

How August compares with the rest of the year at a glance. August is the 2nd-warmest and 3rd-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°F)Rainfall (inches)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan56° / 37°3.59.10.6103.9
Feb59° / 40°3.48.30.410.74.7
Mar67° / 46°3.59.30.111.76.3
Apr75° / 54°3.38.1012.87.2
May82° / 62°3.09.4013.76.2
Jun88° / 70°4.313.5014.24.1
Jul90° / 73°4.415.30143.3
Aug89° / 72°4.213.4013.33.9
Sep84° / 66°3.78.8012.25.8
Oct75° / 55°3.37.1011.17.4
Nov65° / 45°2.87.2010.26.5
Dec58° / 39°3.78.80.19.84.5

Cloud cover in August

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in August.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 22% of August, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 50%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14852
24852
34852
44951
54951
64951
74852
84852
94852
104951
114951
124951
134951
145050
155050
164951
175050
185149
195149
205248
215248
225347
235248
245248
255347
265347
275347
285347
295347
305347
315347

Chance of precipitation in August

Any precipitation

Columbia gets around 4.2 in of rain over 13.4 wet days in August. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 44% and peaks near 49% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
149
249
348
447
547
646
746
846
946
1046
1145
1245
1345
1445
1545
1645
1745
1844
1944
2043
2143
2242
2341
2441
2540
2639
2739
2838
2937
3037
3136

Humidity in August

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of August feels oppressive — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, August lands in the oppressive band about 55% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 87% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
112721654
212722644
312722644
412723634
512823624
612824614
712824614
812825604
912825604
1012825604
1112826594
1212826594
1312826594
1412827584
1512827584
1602828584
1703829564
1803929554
1903930544
2003931543
2103931543
22041032513
23041032522
24041033512
25041133502
26051133491
27151233481
28161333471
29161333461
30171433441
31171533431

Wind in August

Winds average 5 mph in August, the calmest month.

Across August, daily wind ranges from about 5 mph on the calmest days to 5 mph at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (mph)Feels
15calm
25calm
35calm
45calm
55calm
65calm
75calm
85calm
95calm
105calm
115calm
125calm
135calm
145calm
155calm
165calm
175calm
185calm
195calm
205calm
215calm
225calm
235calm
245calm
255calm
265calm
275calm
285calm
295calm
305calm
315calm

Sunrise & sunset in August

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 42 min at the start of August to 12 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 54 minutes over August. Sunrise moves from 5:39 AM to 6:01 AM, and sunset from 7:22 PM to 6:48 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.75:397:22
213.75:407:21
313.75:407:20
413.65:417:19
513.65:427:18
613.65:437:17
713.55:437:16
813.55:447:15
913.55:457:14
1013.55:457:13
1113.45:467:12
1213.45:477:11
1313.45:487:10
1413.35:487:09
1513.35:497:08
1613.35:507:07
1713.25:517:05
1813.25:517:04
1913.25:527:03
2013.15:537:02
2113.15:547:01
2213.15:546:59
2313.15:556:58
2413.05:566:57
2513.05:576:56
2612.95:576:54
2712.95:586:53
2812.95:596:52
2912.85:596:50
3012.86:006:49
3112.86:016:48

Solar energy in August

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in August, about 5.39 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.39 kWh/m² to a high of 6.16 kWh/m² in June across the year — August's 5.39 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.7Bright
25.7Bright
35.7Bright
45.6Bright
55.6Bright
65.6Bright
75.6Bright
85.6Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.4Bright
155.4Bright
165.4Bright
175.4Bright
185.3Bright
195.3Bright
205.3Bright
215.3Bright
225.3Bright
235.3Bright
245.2Bright
255.2Bright
265.2Bright
275.2Bright
285.1Bright
295.1Bright
305.1Bright
315.1Bright
Planning a trip in August

Is August a good time to visit Columbia?

Our two travel scores rate August for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.9
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
6.0
Beach & pool
4th-best month of the year

August is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Columbia. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Columbia in August

From August's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In August, Columbia sees daytime highs around 89°F and nights near 72°F. Pack light clothes. Worth having: rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.

light clothesrain gearsun protection

UV index in Columbia in August

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in August peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Columbia peaks around June 23 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 20 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 11 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highHighModerateJun 23UV 9Dec 20UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb5Moderate
Mar6High
Apr7High
May8Very high
Jun9Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Columbia in August

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where August falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Columbia is worst in July — around 18 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.3× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateModerateGoodJul 1617 µg/m³Dec 218 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan8Good
Feb10Good
Mar15Moderate
Apr12Good
May13Moderate
Jun16Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep12Good
Oct8Good
Nov8Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Columbia?

Columbia sits at 34.0°N, 81.0°W, 292 ft above sea level, in United States. The nearest listed city is West Columbia, 2.5 mi away.

Topography around Columbia

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 2, 10 and 50 miles of Columbia.

Within 2 miles, the terrain around Columbia has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 751 ft around an average of 240 ft above sea level; within 10 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 932 ft; within 50 miles, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,175 ft.

The land around Columbia is covered by artificial surfaces (43%) and trees (41%) within 2 miles, trees (68%) within 10 miles, and trees (77%) within 50 miles.

2 miles
751 ft
10 miles
932 ft
50 miles
1,175 ft
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
August weather nearby: West Columbia 2.5 mi · Saint Andrews 5.0 mi · Seven Oaks 7.5 mi · Lexington 12 mi · Sumter 40 mi · Aiken 50 mi · North Augusta 63 mi · Rock Hill 64 mi

United States travel facts

Power plugs
Type A / B
120 V · 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 100% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$90,027
2025
Happiness
6.8 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
98%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
5.8
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
Religion
Protestant 47%unaffiliated 23%Roman Catholic 21%Jewish 2%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Columbia (34.0007°, -81.0348°, elevation 292 ft), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).