USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29010 — Bishopville, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bishopville 1ENE, SC (203 ft), 2 miles east.
Updated
In Bishopville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 222 days (NOAA, Bishopville 1ENE, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 222 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
- 9%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bishopville
Half of springs at Bishopville 1ENE, SC see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 12, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 4 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 203 one year in ten. On average 60 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 11 days longer, to about April 9, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 71%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bishopville 1ENE, 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 29010 →Compare Bishopville with another place →
Weather by month in Bishopville
July is the warmest month at Bishopville 1ENE, SC, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 33°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 41% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,357 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 51% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,138) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 958. Precipitation totals 46.7 inches a year, most in August (4.9") and least in April (3.0"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 3.8 | 100% | 18 | 55 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 3.5 | 100% | 13 | 70 |
| Mar | 67 | 41 | 3.8 | 96% | 7 | 186 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 3.0 | 41% | 1 | 375 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 629 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 822 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 958 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 901 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 709 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 3.5 | 33% | 1 | 416 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 3.0 | 98% | 7 | 159 |
| Dec | 59 | 35 | 3.9 | 98% | 14 | 78 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bishopville 1ENE, SC (203 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, Elliott 0.8 NW, SC, 8 miles southeast of Bishopville, has a last frost 10 days earlier (March 19), a first frost 11 days later (November 15), a season 19 days longer.
When it snows in Bishopville, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bishopville 1ENE, SC, 1.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29010
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 29010 is 2 miles from Bishopville 1ENE, SC, which stands at 203 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29010 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.