USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29340 — Gaffney, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Ninety Nine Is, SC (500 ft), 8 miles east.
Updated
In Gaffney, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 24, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, Ninety Nine Is, SC).
- Last spring frost
- April 20
- First fall frost
- October 24
- Growing season
- 186 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
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gaffney
Half of springs at Ninety Nine Is, SC see their last 32°F night by April 20; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 6. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 1 20%, and after May 6 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 44% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 24 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 24, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, shorter than at 99% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 209 days one year in ten and falls short of 165 one year in ten. On average 93 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 May 1, and return around October 15. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 10 and February 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 15 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 10 | May 15 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 28°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 24 |
| 24°F | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 20°F | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 22 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 20 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Ninety Nine Is, 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 29340 →Compare Gaffney with another place →
Weather by month in Gaffney
July is the warmest month at Ninety Nine Is, SC, averaging 88°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 27°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 90% of years and May still brings one in 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,124 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 97% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,527) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 829. Precipitation totals 45.3 inches a year, most in August (4.7") and least in October (3.1"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 27 | 3.7 | 100% | 21 | 14 |
| Feb | 55 | 29 | 3.3 | 100% | 18 | 23 |
| Mar | 63 | 35 | 4.4 | 100% | 13 | 88 |
| Apr | 72 | 43 | 3.7 | 90% | 4 | 237 |
| May | 78 | 53 | 3.6 | 20% | <1 | 477 |
| Jun | 84 | 62 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 688 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 829 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 795 |
| Sep | 81 | 58 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 588 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 3.1 | 74% | 3 | 288 |
| Nov | 62 | 34 | 3.4 | 100% | 15 | 71 |
| Dec | 54 | 29 | 4.0 | 100% | 20 | 26 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Ninety Nine Is, SC (500 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, Spartanburg 3 SSE, SC, 19 miles southwest of Gaffney, has a last frost 12 days earlier (April 8), a first frost 8 days later (November 1), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Gaffney, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Spartanburg 3 SSE, SC, 18.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29340
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 9 – February 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 23 – April 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 1 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 10 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 24 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 29340 is 8 miles from Ninety Nine Is, SC, which stands at 500 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 29340 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.