USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29069 — Lamar, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elliott 0.8 NW, SC (173 ft), 7 miles southwest.
Updated
In Lamar, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 19 in half of years and has passed by April 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 15, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 241 days (NOAA, Elliott 0.8 NW, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 19
- First fall frost
- November 15
- Growing season
- 241 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 Lamar
Half of springs at Elliott 0.8 NW, SC see their last 32°F night by March 19; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 4. Planting tender crops after March 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 30 20%, and after April 4 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 44% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 15 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 241 days in a typical year, longer than at 75% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 269 days one year in ten and falls short of 217 one year in ten. On average 29 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 March 31, and return around November 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 97% of winters and 16°F in 35%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 28°F | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F77% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 21 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Jan 1 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 21 |
| 20°F77% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 |
| 16°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elliott 0.8 NW, 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 29069 →Compare Lamar with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Bishopville 1ENE, SC, 9 miles west of Lamar, has a last frost 10 days later (March 29), a first frost 11 days earlier (November 4), a season 19 days shorter.
When it snows in Lamar, 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, 9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29069
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 8 – January 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 15 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 29069 is 7 miles from Elliott 0.8 NW, SC, which stands at 173 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 29161 (Timmonsville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29069 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.