USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29123 — Pelion, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pelion 0.8 NW, SC (451 ft), under a mile east.
Updated
In Pelion, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 10 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 221 days (NOAA, Pelion 0.8 NW, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 4
- 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
- 22%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pelion
Half of springs at Pelion 0.8 NW, SC see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 10. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 10 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 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 8 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 241 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 7, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 82%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 6 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 6 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 24 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pelion 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 29123 →Compare Pelion with another place →
Weather by month in Pelion
July is the warmest month at Pelion 0.8 NW, SC, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 34°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 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,986 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 84% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 41% of them (2,438) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,015. Precipitation totals 51.9 inches a year, most in July (5.8") and least in November (3.2"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 34 | 4.4 | 100% | 16 | 76 |
| Feb | 62 | 36 | 4.2 | 99% | 12 | 93 |
| Mar | 70 | 42 | 4.1 | 97% | 8 | 232 |
| Apr | 78 | 51 | 3.6 | 39% | 1 | 443 |
| May | 85 | 61 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Jun | 90 | 69 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 1015 |
| Aug | 92 | 71 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 975 |
| Sep | 87 | 65 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 778 |
| Oct | 79 | 53 | 3.7 | 31% | 2 | 492 |
| Nov | 68 | 41 | 3.2 | 98% | 9 | 194 |
| Dec | 61 | 36 | 4.1 | 99% | 15 | 94 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pelion 0.8 NW, SC (451 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, Wagener 1SW, SC, 11 miles southwest of Pelion, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 5 days later (November 9), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Pelion, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Pelion 0.8 NW, SC, 0.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29123
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 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 29123 is under a mile from Pelion 0.8 NW, SC, which stands at 451 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29123 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.