USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28020 — Columbia, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Vale Ag 2 SW, NC (985 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Columbia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 12 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 198 days (NOAA, Vale Ag 2 SW, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 12
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 198 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 42%
- Snow per year
- 3.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Columbia
Half of springs at Vale Ag 2 SW, NC see their last 32°F night by April 12; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after April 26. Planting tender crops after April 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 26 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 84% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 28 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 5; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 15, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 198 days in a typical year, shorter than at 97% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 217 days one year in ten and falls short of 179 one year in ten. On average 95 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 12 days longer, to about April 24, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 16 and March 2.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 6 | May 10 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 28°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 24°F | Mar 3 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 17 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 27 | Feb 6 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 24 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Vale Ag 2 SW, NC, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 28020 →Compare Columbia with another place →
Weather by month in Columbia
July is the warmest month at Vale Ag 2 SW, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 27°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 88% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,120 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 98% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,554) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 829.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 27 | 100% | 23 | 15 |
| Feb | 54 | 29 | 100% | 19 | 26 |
| Mar | 62 | 33 | 100% | 14 | 86 |
| Apr | 71 | 43 | 88% | 4 | 239 |
| May | 78 | 53 | 6% | 0 | 483 |
| Jun | 85 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 706 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 829 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 789 |
| Sep | 81 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 591 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 62% | 1 | 279 |
| Nov | 61 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 58 |
| Dec | 52 | 29 | 100% | 20 | 21 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Vale Ag 2 SW, NC (985 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Shelby 2 NW, NC, 15 miles south of Columbia and 165 feet lower, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 3 days earlier (October 25), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Columbia, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Casar, NC, 0.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28020
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 1 – February 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 28020 is 10 miles from Vale Ag 2 SW, NC, which stands at 985 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28168 (Vale). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28020 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across South Carolina →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.