USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29129 — Ridge Spring, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Batesburg, SC (660 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Ridge Spring, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 244 days (NOAA, Batesburg, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 20
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 244 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
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 1.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ridge Spring
Half of springs at Batesburg, SC see their last 32°F night by March 20; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 3. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 3 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 18 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 244 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 270 days one year in ten and falls short of 220 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 12 days longer, to about April 1, and return around November 5. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 46%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 |
| 28°F | Feb 6 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 22 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 |
| 28°F | Nov 13 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Batesburg, 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 29129 →Compare Ridge Spring with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Johnston 4 SW, SC, 11 miles west of Ridge Spring, has a last frost 6 days later (March 26), a first frost 10 days earlier (November 8), a season 16 days shorter.
When it snows in Ridge Spring, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Batesburg, SC, 9.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29129
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 9 – January 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 18 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 29129 is 9 miles from Batesburg, SC, which stands at 660 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 29070 (Leesville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29129 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.