USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29321 — Buffalo, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Union 8 S, SC (480 ft), 8 miles south.
Updated
In Buffalo, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 207 days (NOAA, Union 8 S, SC).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 207 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
- 44%
- Snow per year
- 1.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 25 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Buffalo
Half of springs at Union 8 S, SC see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 21, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 21 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 October 30 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 11, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 207 days in a typical year, shorter than at 90% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 229 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 87 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 18, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 92% of winters, usually between December 31 and February 1.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 4 |
| 32°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 6 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 24°F | Feb 14 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 26 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 29 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 21 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 28 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Union 8 S, 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 29321 →Compare Buffalo with another place →
Weather by month in Buffalo
July is the warmest month at Union 8 S, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 29°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 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,790 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 88% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,858) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 910. Precipitation totals 45.4 inches a year, most in March (4.3") and least in May (3.1"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 29 | 4.2 | 100% | 21 | 28 |
| Feb | 57 | 32 | 3.6 | 100% | 17 | 43 |
| Mar | 65 | 38 | 4.3 | 98% | 12 | 133 |
| Apr | 74 | 47 | 3.8 | 66% | 3 | 320 |
| May | 81 | 55 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 559 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 775 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Aug | 89 | 67 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 868 |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 664 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 3.3 | 56% | 2 | 344 |
| Nov | 63 | 37 | 3.6 | 100% | 13 | 105 |
| Dec | 55 | 32 | 4.3 | 100% | 20 | 40 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Union 8 S, 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, Santuck, SC, 12 miles southeast of Buffalo, has a last frost 2 days earlier (April 4), a first frost 2 days later (November 1), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Buffalo, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 11 of 25 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Union 8 S, SC, 8.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29321
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 29321 is 8 miles from Union 8 S, SC, which stands at 480 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 29178 (Whitmire). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29321 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.