USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29127 — Prosperity, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Little Mountain, SC (711 ft), 7 miles northeast.
Updated
In Prosperity, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 22 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 234 days (NOAA, Little Mountain, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 22
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 234 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
- 35%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Prosperity
Half of springs at Little Mountain, SC see their last 32°F night by March 22; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 7 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 11 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 234 days in a typical year, longer than at 58% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 261 days one year in ten and falls short of 212 one year in ten. On average 43 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 April 3, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 61%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F61% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 24 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F61% of yrs | Dec 18 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Little Mountain, 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 29127 →Compare Prosperity with another place →
Weather by month in Prosperity
July is the warmest month at Little Mountain, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 90% of years and April still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,542 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 62% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 41% of them (2,252) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 958. Precipitation totals 45.8 inches a year, most in August (4.5") and least in May (3.2"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 35 | 4.0 | 100% | 13 | 61 |
| Feb | 59 | 38 | 3.6 | 98% | 9 | 84 |
| Mar | 66 | 44 | 4.1 | 90% | 5 | 212 |
| Apr | 75 | 52 | 3.3 | 23% | 1 | 408 |
| May | 82 | 61 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 958 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 914 |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 724 |
| Oct | 75 | 53 | 3.4 | 14% | <1 | 440 |
| Nov | 64 | 43 | 3.4 | 88% | 4 | 172 |
| Dec | 57 | 38 | 4.2 | 98% | 11 | 82 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Little Mountain, SC (711 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, Newberry, SC, 12 miles northwest of Prosperity and 198 feet lower, has a last frost 9 days later (March 31), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 7), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Prosperity, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Newberry, SC, 11.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29127
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 11 – January 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 25 – February 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 11 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 29127 is 7 miles from Little Mountain, SC, which stands at 711 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 29036 (Chapin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29127 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.