USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29384 — Waterloo, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Greenwood 8NE, SC (530 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Waterloo, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 22 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 236 days (NOAA, Greenwood 8NE, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 22
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 236 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
- 45%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Waterloo
Half of springs at Greenwood 8NE, SC see their last 32°F night by March 22; only one in ten is past it by March 2, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 8 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 57% 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 November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 236 days in a typical year, longer than at 62% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 263 days one year in ten and falls short of 214 one year in ten. On average 54 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 13 days longer, to about April 4, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 49%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 9 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F85% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 23 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F85% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Greenwood 8NE, 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 29384 →Compare Waterloo with another place →
Weather by month in Waterloo
July is the warmest month at Greenwood 8NE, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 89% of years and April still brings one in 25% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,118 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 69% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,004) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 936. Precipitation totals 47.5 inches a year, most in June (4.6") 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 | 54 | 33 | 4.2 | 100% | 18 | 42 |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 3.8 | 97% | 12 | 56 |
| Mar | 65 | 41 | 4.5 | 89% | 7 | 167 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.3 | 25% | <1 | 340 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 598 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 936 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 888 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 702 |
| Oct | 74 | 52 | 3.1 | 9% | <1 | 411 |
| Nov | 64 | 40 | 3.7 | 86% | 5 | 125 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 4.6 | 99% | 13 | 53 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Greenwood 8NE, SC (530 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, Greenwood Co Airport, SC, 7 miles southwest of Waterloo, has a last frost 10 days later (April 1), a first frost 11 days earlier (November 2), a season 20 days shorter.
When it snows in Waterloo, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Greenwood, SC, 9.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29384
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 11 – January 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 25 – February 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 22 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 29384 is 6 miles from Greenwood 8NE, SC, which stands at 530 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29384 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.