USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29001 — Alcolu, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Manning, SC (85 ft), 5 miles south.
Updated
In Alcolu, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 232 days (NOAA, Manning, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 232 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 23%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Alcolu
Half of springs at Manning, SC see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 57% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 11 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 232 days in a typical year, longer than at 51% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 259 days one year in ten and falls short of 210 one year in ten. On average 48 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 10 days longer, to about April 4, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 48%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F86% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 25 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F48% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
| 20°F86% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F48% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Manning, SC, 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 29001 →Compare Alcolu with another place →
Weather by month in Alcolu
July is the warmest month at Manning, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 86% of years and April still brings one in 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,464 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 56% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,199) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 950. Precipitation totals 55.8 inches a year, most in July (6.2") and least in November (3.6"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 35 | 4.0 | 100% | 14 | 65 |
| Feb | 59 | 37 | 4.5 | 99% | 10 | 76 |
| Mar | 67 | 43 | 4.0 | 86% | 5 | 206 |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 3.8 | 31% | 1 | 390 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 637 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 825 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 950 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 911 |
| Sep | 83 | 64 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 717 |
| Oct | 75 | 53 | 3.8 | 13% | <1 | 429 |
| Nov | 65 | 43 | 3.6 | 85% | 5 | 176 |
| Dec | 58 | 37 | 4.2 | 98% | 12 | 82 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Manning, SC (85 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, Sumter, SC, 16 miles northwest of Alcolu, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 24), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 7), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Alcolu, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Manning, SC, 5.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29001
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 11 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 29001 is 5 miles from Manning, SC, which stands at 85 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 29102 (Manning). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29001 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.