USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29101 — Mc Bee, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hartsville, SC (185 ft), 12 miles east.
Updated
In Mc Bee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 224 days (NOAA, Hartsville, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 224 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
- 13%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mc Bee
Half of springs at Hartsville, SC see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 11, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 84% 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 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 224 days in a typical year, shorter than at 67% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 248 days one year in ten and falls short of 201 one year in ten. On average 62 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 9, and return around October 30. 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 2 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 10 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 4 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 27 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hartsville, 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 29101 →Compare Mc Bee with another place →
Weather by month in Mc Bee
July is the warmest month at Hartsville, SC, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 32°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 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,336 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,109) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 964. Precipitation totals 48.5 inches a year, most in July (5.9") and least in November (2.9"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 32 | 3.7 | 100% | 18 | 52 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 3.4 | 100% | 13 | 66 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 3.8 | 95% | 7 | 175 |
| Apr | 76 | 48 | 3.0 | 42% | 1 | 367 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 622 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 964 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 916 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 718 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 3.4 | 24% | 1 | 412 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 2.9 | 93% | 8 | 146 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 3.8 | 98% | 14 | 70 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hartsville, SC (185 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, Bishopville 1ENE, SC, 17 miles south of Mc Bee, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 29), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 4), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Mc Bee, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hartsville, SC, 12.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29101
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 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 29101 is 12 miles from Hartsville, SC, which stands at 185 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 29550 (Hartsville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29101 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.