USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 29438 — Edisto Island, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Edisto Beach Sp, SC (5 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Edisto Island, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 6, as early as November 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 280 days (NOAA, Edisto Beach Sp, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- December 6
- Growing season
- 280 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 15 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Edisto Island
Half of springs at Edisto Beach Sp, SC see their last 32°F night by March 1; only one in ten is past it by February 1, and one in ten still has one after March 21. Planting tender crops after March 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 15 20%, and after March 21 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 91% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 6 in half of years, as early as November 15 one year in ten, and holds off past January 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 22 days later, around December 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 9, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 280 days in a typical year, longer than at 96% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 314 days one year in ten and falls short of 250 one year in ten. On average 15 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 15 days longer, to about March 16, and return around November 21. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 73% of winters and 16°F in 8%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 24 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 4 |
| 32°F | Feb 1 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| 24°F73% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 27 |
| 20°F33% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F8% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 13 |
| 32°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 23 |
| 24°F73% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Feb 5 |
| 20°F33% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F8% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Edisto Beach Sp, 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 29438 →Compare Edisto Island with another place →
Weather by month in Edisto Island
July is the warmest month at Edisto Beach Sp, SC, averaging 89°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°F and 39°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 82% of years and March still brings one in 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,990 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 85% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,337) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 978.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 39 | 95% | 7 | 68 |
| Feb | 60 | 42 | 82% | 3 | 90 |
| Mar | 66 | 47 | 51% | 1 | 224 |
| Apr | 73 | 55 | 2% | 0 | 416 |
| May | 80 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 682 |
| Jun | 86 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 856 |
| Jul | 89 | 75 | 0% | 0 | 978 |
| Aug | 89 | 73 | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Sep | 85 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 795 |
| Oct | 77 | 58 | 1% | 0 | 548 |
| Nov | 68 | 48 | 36% | 1 | 257 |
| Dec | 60 | 43 | 77% | 3 | 116 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Edisto Beach Sp, SC (5 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, Edisto Is Middleton Plantation, SC, 5 miles north of Edisto Island, has the same 50% last-frost date, the same first-frost date, a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Edisto Island, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 15 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Edisto Beach Sp, SC, 2.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29438
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 21 – January 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 4 – January 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 6 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 29438 is 3 miles from Edisto Beach Sp, SC, which stands at 5 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29438 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.