USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 29449 — Hollywood, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Edisto Is Middleton Plantation, SC (12 ft), 8 miles southwest.
Updated
In Hollywood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 1 in half of years and has passed by March 22 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 284 days (NOAA, Edisto Is Middleton Plantation, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 1
- First fall frost
- December 6
- Growing season
- 284 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 Hollywood
Half of springs at Edisto Is Middleton Plantation, 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 22. Planting tender crops after March 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 15 20%, and after March 22 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 95% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
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 23 days later, around December 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 9, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 284 days in a typical year, longer than at 99% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 318 days one year in ten and falls short of 253 one year in ten. On average 16 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 12 days longer, to about March 13, and return around November 21. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 68% of winters and 16°F in 5%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 32°F | Feb 1 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 28°F95% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 |
| 24°F68% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Mar 1 |
| 20°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 32°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 4 |
| 28°F95% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 26 |
| 24°F68% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 8 |
| 20°F29% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F5% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Edisto Is Middleton Plantation, 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 29449 →Compare Hollywood with another place →
Weather by month in Hollywood
July is the warmest month at Edisto Is Middleton Plantation, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 40°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 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,408 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 93% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 41% of them (2,628) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,000. Precipitation totals 52.1 inches a year, most in August (7.5") and least in November (2.6"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 40 | 3.6 | 94% | 7 | 109 |
| Feb | 63 | 43 | 2.9 | 82% | 4 | 138 |
| Mar | 69 | 48 | 3.9 | 50% | 1 | 283 |
| Apr | 76 | 56 | 3.6 | 1% | <1 | 481 |
| May | 83 | 64 | 2.8 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Jun | 88 | 71 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Jul | 90 | 74 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 1000 |
| Aug | 90 | 74 | 7.5 | 0% | 0 | 980 |
| Sep | 85 | 69 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 816 |
| Oct | 78 | 60 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 577 |
| Nov | 68 | 49 | 2.6 | 36% | 1 | 265 |
| Dec | 61 | 43 | 3.9 | 77% | 3 | 143 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Edisto Is Middleton Plantation, SC (12 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 Beach Sp, SC, 15 miles south of Hollywood, has the same 50% last-frost date, the same first-frost date, a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Hollywood, 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, 14.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29449
| 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 29449 is 8 miles from Edisto Is Middleton Plantation, SC, which stands at 12 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 29449 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.