USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29055 — Great Falls, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Winnsboro, SC (530 ft), 17 miles southwest.
Updated
In Great Falls, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 221 days (NOAA, Winnsboro, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 221 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
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Great Falls
Half of springs at Winnsboro, SC see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 18. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 18 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 77% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 6 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 221 days in a typical year, shorter than at 73% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 246 days one year in ten and falls short of 200 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 10 days longer, to about April 10, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 76%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 18 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 26 | Jan 4 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Winnsboro, 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 29055 →Compare Great Falls with another place →
Weather by month in Great Falls
July is the warmest month at Winnsboro, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 31°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 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,004 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 76% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,971) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 930. Precipitation totals 45.2 inches a year, most in August (4.7") and least in April (3.1"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 31 | 4.0 | 100% | 17 | 36 |
| Feb | 57 | 33 | 3.6 | 100% | 13 | 50 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 4.0 | 95% | 7 | 159 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 3.1 | 45% | <1 | 345 |
| May | 81 | 57 | 3.1 | 2% | 0 | 589 |
| Jun | 88 | 65 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 792 |
| Jul | 91 | 69 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 930 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 879 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 676 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 3.3 | 29% | 1 | 374 |
| Nov | 63 | 39 | 3.2 | 96% | 7 | 124 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 4.1 | 99% | 15 | 50 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Winnsboro, SC (530 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, Chester 1 SE, SC, 18 miles northwest of Great Falls, has a last frost 3 days later (April 3), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 2), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Great Falls, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Great Falls, SC, 1.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29055
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 29055 is 17 miles from Winnsboro, SC, which stands at 530 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 29180 (Winnsboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29055 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.