USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29432 — Branchville, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Bamberg, SC (156 ft), 14 miles west.
Updated
In Branchville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 18 in half of years and has passed by April 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 240 days (NOAA, Bamberg, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 18
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 240 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
- 25%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Branchville
Half of springs at Bamberg, SC see their last 32°F night by March 18; only one in ten is past it by February 26, and one in ten still has one after April 4. Planting tender crops after March 26 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 30 20%, and after April 4 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 12 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 240 days in a typical year, longer than at 72% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 266 days one year in ten and falls short of 218 one year in ten. On average 38 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 March 31, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 37%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 32°F | Feb 26 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 28°F | Feb 4 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 20°F76% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F37% 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 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 25 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 22 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 |
| 20°F76% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F37% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Bamberg, 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 29432 →Compare Branchville with another place →
Weather by month in Branchville
July is the warmest month at Bamberg, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 37°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 83% of years and April still brings one in 15% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,781 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 78% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 42% of them (2,399) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 967. Precipitation totals 48.8 inches a year, most in July (5.5") and least in November (2.8"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 37 | 3.7 | 100% | 12 | 81 |
| Feb | 62 | 39 | 3.5 | 97% | 7 | 108 |
| Mar | 69 | 45 | 4.4 | 83% | 4 | 256 |
| Apr | 77 | 52 | 3.1 | 15% | <1 | 432 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 677 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 967 |
| Aug | 89 | 71 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 924 |
| Sep | 84 | 65 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 741 |
| Oct | 75 | 54 | 3.1 | 10% | <1 | 464 |
| Nov | 65 | 44 | 2.8 | 85% | 4 | 188 |
| Dec | 59 | 39 | 3.8 | 97% | 10 | 99 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Bamberg, SC (156 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, Orangeburg Municipal Airport, SC, 16 miles north of Branchville, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 15), a first frost 7 days later (November 19), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Branchville, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bamberg, SC, 14 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29432
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 7 – January 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 21 – February 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 12 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 29432 is 14 miles from Bamberg, SC, which stands at 156 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29003 (Bamberg). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29432 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.