USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29152 — Shaw Afb, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wedgefield, SC (250 ft), 6 miles southwest.
Updated
In Shaw Afb, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 239 days (NOAA, Wedgefield, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 239 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
- 42%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Shaw Afb
Half of springs at Wedgefield, SC see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 86% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 13 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around November 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 239 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 270 days one year in ten and falls short of 214 one year in ten. On average 47 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 2, and return around November 3. 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 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 7 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 23 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Feb 5 |
| 16°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wedgefield, 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 29152 →Compare Shaw Afb with another place →
Weather by month in Shaw Afb
July is the warmest month at Wedgefield, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°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 85% of years and April still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,713 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 74% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,309) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 953. Precipitation totals 46.1 inches a year, most in June (5.5") and least in April (3.0"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 35 | 3.8 | 100% | 13 | 72 |
| Feb | 62 | 38 | 3.6 | 97% | 10 | 94 |
| Mar | 69 | 43 | 3.8 | 85% | 5 | 232 |
| Apr | 77 | 51 | 3.0 | 23% | 1 | 425 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 662 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 825 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 953 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Sep | 86 | 64 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 3.4 | 12% | 1 | 477 |
| Nov | 68 | 43 | 3.1 | 79% | 6 | 207 |
| Dec | 61 | 37 | 3.9 | 99% | 12 | 99 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wedgefield, SC (250 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, Sumter, SC, 7 miles east of Shaw Afb, has a last frost 3 days later (March 24), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 7), a season 9 days shorter.
When it snows in Shaw Afb, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Wedgefield, SC, 5.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29152
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 29152 is 6 miles from Wedgefield, SC, which stands at 250 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29154 (Sumter). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29152 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.