USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29061 — Hopkins, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport, SC (212 ft), 9 miles west.
Updated
In Hopkins, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 13 in half of years and has passed by March 31 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 19, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 253 days (NOAA, Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 13
- First fall frost
- November 19
- Growing season
- 253 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
- 12%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hopkins
Half of springs at Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport, SC see their last 32°F night by March 13; only one in ten is past it by February 21, and one in ten still has one after March 31. Planting tender crops after March 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 25 20%, and after March 31 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 19 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 18, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 253 days in a typical year, longer than at 87% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 281 days one year in ten and falls short of 227 one year in ten. On average 33 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 14 days longer, to about March 27, and return around November 8. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 92% of winters and 16°F in 13%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 28°F | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 24°F92% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 |
| 20°F52% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 |
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 28°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 |
| 24°F92% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 31 |
| 20°F52% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F13% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport, 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 29061 →Compare Hopkins with another place →
Weather by month in Hopkins
July is the warmest month at Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport, SC, averaging 93°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°F and 37°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,149 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 90% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 41% of them (2,520) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,031. Precipitation totals 43.9 inches a year, most in June (4.8") and least in April (2.7"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 37 | 3.4 | 99% | 12 | 83 |
| Feb | 61 | 40 | 3.3 | 95% | 7 | 105 |
| Mar | 69 | 46 | 3.5 | 75% | 3 | 254 |
| Apr | 77 | 53 | 2.7 | 8% | 0 | 462 |
| May | 84 | 62 | 3.0 | 0% | 0 | 716 |
| Jun | 90 | 70 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Jul | 93 | 73 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 1031 |
| Aug | 91 | 72 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 986 |
| Sep | 86 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 804 |
| Oct | 77 | 56 | 3.1 | 2% | 0 | 505 |
| Nov | 67 | 44 | 2.8 | 75% | 2 | 199 |
| Dec | 60 | 39 | 3.5 | 95% | 9 | 105 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport, SC (212 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, Columbia Univ Of Sc, SC, 11 miles northwest of Hopkins, has a last frost 3 days later (March 16), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 16), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Hopkins, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Columbia Univ Of Sc, SC, 11.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29061
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 2 – January 16 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 16 – January 30 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 13 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 27 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 5 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 19 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 29061 is 9 miles from Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport, SC, which stands at 212 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29209 (Columbia). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29061 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.