USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 29458 — Mc Clellanville, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mcclellanville, SC (12 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Mc Clellanville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 17 in half of years and has passed by April 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 21, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 250 days (NOAA, Mcclellanville, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 17
- First fall frost
- November 21
- Growing season
- 250 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mc Clellanville
Half of springs at Mcclellanville, SC see their last 32°F night by March 17; only one in ten is past it by February 25, 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 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 77% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 21 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 6; 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 250 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 282 days one year in ten and falls short of 225 one year in ten. On average 34 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 14 days longer, to about March 31, and return around November 9. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 28%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 32°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 28°F | Jan 31 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F69% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F28% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 |
| 28°F | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
| 20°F69% of yrs | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F28% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mcclellanville, 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 29458 →Compare Mc Clellanville with another place →
Weather by month in Mc Clellanville
July is the warmest month at Mcclellanville, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 36°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 81% of years and April still brings one in 16% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,020 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,384) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 986.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 36 | 100% | 10 | 82 |
| Feb | 62 | 38 | 93% | 7 | 96 |
| Mar | 68 | 45 | 81% | 4 | 232 |
| Apr | 77 | 52 | 16% | <1 | 431 |
| May | 83 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 691 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 852 |
| Jul | 91 | 73 | 0% | 0 | 986 |
| Aug | 89 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 947 |
| Sep | 86 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 793 |
| Oct | 78 | 56 | 2% | <1 | 535 |
| Nov | 70 | 46 | 69% | 3 | 256 |
| Dec | 62 | 40 | 94% | 8 | 118 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mcclellanville, 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, Georgetown Co Airport, SC, 17 miles northeast of Mc Clellanville, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 12), a first frost 3 days later (November 24), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Mc Clellanville, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Andrews, SC, 23.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29458
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 6 – January 20 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 20 – February 3 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 17 – March 3 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 17 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 29 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 7 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 21 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 29458 is 3 miles from Mcclellanville, SC, which stands at 12 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 29429 (Awendaw). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29458 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.