If you think it’s been cold for the last week or so here in South Carolina, then think again. Just 37 years ago, the Palmetto State plunged to its lowest temperature ever recorded on January 21, 1985, when a record -19 degrees Fahrenheit was recorded at Ceasars Head State Park near Cleveland, South Carolina. Temperatures this low are difficult to comprehend just about anywhere in the United States, but for South Carolina, this really was something special.

For the last week or so, temperatures in the Upstate have dropped to the near teens at night, which is riveting cold.
Facebook/South Carolina State Parks
But a cold winter blast in 1985 plummeted temperatures to well below zero in much of the state making life as we know it look (and feel) completely different for at least a few days.
When temperatures reach bitter cold like those in 1985, the body is forced to send available blood to the vital organs, making the extremities especially vulnerable to frostbite.
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Just how cold is "too cold" hasn't been determined, however. We suppose that's more of a personal preference; everyone has different thresholds, but boy... anything below freezing is pretty rough.
Between January 18 and January 22, 1985, an arctic event brought extremely cold temperatures to the states east of the Rocky Mountains.
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In South Carolina, Caesars Head State Park recorded the state's record low for the period at -19 degrees Fahrenheit on January 21st.

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On that same day in 1985, the state's capital also recorded its lowest temperature ever on record as temperatures dropped to -18 degrees Fahrenheit in Columbia.
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...to say this is impressive is an understatement. Temperatures have never plunged anywhere near this low since - nor had they before.
Other locales in South Carolina that logged record lows on that same day were:
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Calhoun Falls (+2), Aiken (-4), Allendale (-2), Bamberg (+2), Yemassee (0), Pinopolis Dam on January 22, 1985 (8), McClellanville (+4), Ninety Nine Island (-4), Cheraw (0), Manning (0), Walterboro (0), Florence (1), Johnston (-2), Andrews (_2), Hampton (+1), Loris (+2), Ridgeland (+2), Camden on January 22, 1985 (-2), Kershaw (-4), Laurens (-2), Bishopville (-2), McColl, (-5), Clark Hill (-2), Long Creek (-8), Orangeburg (+2), Pickens (-6), Saluda (-2), Sumter (+2), and Winthrop University in York County (-4).
It was so cold on the east coast during this period that President Reagan's second inauguration parade was canceled because it was ten degrees below zero in Washington D.C.
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It's not every day it's too cold to inaugurate a President, but this year, it most definitely was.
Do you remember the bone-chilling cold of the winter of 1985 in South Carolina?
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How do you think it compares to what we’ve experienced so far this year? Are you a person that gets a chill easily? What do you do to warm up? Join the discussion in the comments!

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South Carolina Coldest Temperature

Tori Jane | November 28, 2022
  1. What was the coldest temp in South Carolina ever recorded?  

South Carolina has a temperate climate to thank for fairly mild winters, but the coldest temperature in South Carolina ever recorded was still impressively low. On January 21, 1985, temperatures in Caesars Head plunged to an impossibly frigid –19 degrees! Other remarkably cold days in South Carolina history include:  

  • 11 degrees on January 25, 2014 
  • 12 degrees on February 20, 2015 
  • 15 degrees on December 15, 2010 
  • 17 degrees on January 14, 2011 

 

2. What is winter in SC like?  

Winter in SC is a lot livelier than one might expect, thanks to there being some truly fun things to do in the winter around here. Some of the best things to do in South Carolina during the winter include:  

 

3. What are some interesting, historic winters in South Carolina? 

Several winters in South Carolina have made history in some way or another, including years like:  

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