USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29150 — Sumter, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sumter, SC (177 ft), 1 miles north.
Updated
In Sumter, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Sumter, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 230 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 20%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sumter
Half of springs at Sumter, SC see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 7 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 7 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 30, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, shorter than at 51% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 257 days one year in ten and falls short of 209 one year in ten. On average 56 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 3, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 55%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F55% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 28 |
| 16°F55% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sumter, 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 29150 →Compare Sumter with another place →
Weather by month in Sumter
July is the warmest month at Sumter, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 33°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 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,189 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 62% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,076) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 927. Precipitation totals 49.0 inches a year, most in July (5.8") and least in November (2.9"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 3.8 | 100% | 16 | 54 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 3.5 | 98% | 12 | 65 |
| Mar | 66 | 41 | 3.7 | 92% | 7 | 183 |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 3.4 | 28% | <1 | 371 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 605 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 798 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 882 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 694 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.9 | 19% | <1 | 399 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 2.9 | 91% | 7 | 144 |
| Dec | 57 | 35 | 3.8 | 97% | 14 | 68 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sumter, SC (177 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, Wedgefield, SC, 9 miles west of Sumter, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 21), a first frost 6 days later (November 13), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Sumter, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Sumter, SC, 1.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29150
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 29150 is 1 mile from Sumter, SC, which stands at 177 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29150 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.