USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29325 — Clinton, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Clinton, SC (655 ft), 1 miles west.
Updated
In Clinton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 13 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 219 days (NOAA, Clinton, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 219 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 Clinton
Half of springs at Clinton, SC see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 13 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 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 219 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 243 days one year in ten and falls short of 199 one year in ten. On average 59 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 11 days longer, to about April 9, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 79%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F79% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 23 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 31 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 22 |
| 16°F79% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Clinton, 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 29325 →Compare Clinton with another place →
Weather by month in Clinton
July is the warmest month at Clinton, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 69°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 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,104 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 70% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,014) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 933.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 32 | 100% | 20 | 39 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 99% | 11 | 57 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 98% | 7 | 161 |
| Apr | 75 | 48 | 42% | 1 | 350 |
| May | 82 | 57 | 0% | 0 | 600 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 807 |
| Jul | 91 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 890 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 712 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 36% | <1 | 384 |
| Nov | 65 | 39 | 98% | 7 | 127 |
| Dec | 57 | 33 | 99% | 13 | 45 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Clinton, SC (655 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, Laurens, SC, 9 miles west of Clinton, has a last frost 3 days later (April 1), a first frost 1 day later (November 5).
When it snows in Clinton, 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, 14.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29325
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 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 29325 is 1 mile from Clinton, SC, which stands at 655 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29325 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.