USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29138 — Saluda, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Saluda, SC (480 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Saluda, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 218 days (NOAA, Saluda, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 218 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
- 19%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Saluda
Half of springs at Saluda, SC see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 15 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 66% 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 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 218 days in a typical year, shorter than at 80% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 68 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 10, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 68%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 21 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Saluda, 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 29138 →Compare Saluda with another place →
Weather by month in Saluda
July is the warmest month at Saluda, SC, averaging 93°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°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 49% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,294 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 56% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,106) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 973. Precipitation totals 47.0 inches a year, most in March (4.6") and least in April (3.1"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 32 | 4.1 | 100% | 18 | 41 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 3.8 | 98% | 14 | 59 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 4.6 | 94% | 8 | 175 |
| Apr | 75 | 48 | 3.1 | 49% | 1 | 364 |
| May | 83 | 58 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 630 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 837 |
| Jul | 93 | 70 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 973 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Sep | 85 | 62 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 712 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.2 | 32% | 1 | 394 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 3.4 | 96% | 9 | 127 |
| Dec | 56 | 34 | 4.3 | 99% | 16 | 54 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Saluda, SC (480 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, Lake Greenwood, SC, 12 miles northwest of Saluda, has a last frost 1 day later (April 1), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Saluda, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Saluda, SC, 2.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29138
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 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 29138 is 3 miles from Saluda, SC, which stands at 480 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29138 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.