USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29472 — Ridgeville, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Summerville 4W, SC (65 ft), 5 miles east.
Updated
In Ridgeville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 22 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 238 days (NOAA, Summerville 4W, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 22
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 238 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ridgeville
Half of springs at Summerville 4W, SC see their last 32°F night by March 22; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 7 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 44% 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 October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past December 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around November 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 238 days in a typical year, longer than at 67% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 266 days one year in ten and falls short of 213 one year in ten. On average 45 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 April 3, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 40%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 10 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 25 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F40% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 3 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 28 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 20 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Feb 8 |
| 16°F40% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Summerville 4W, 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 29472 →Compare Ridgeville with another place →
Weather by month in Ridgeville
July is the warmest month at Summerville 4W, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 58°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 88% of years and April still brings one in 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,590 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,217) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 945.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 35 | 100% | 15 | 70 |
| Feb | 62 | 37 | 97% | 9 | 93 |
| Mar | 69 | 42 | 88% | 5 | 216 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 22% | <1 | 381 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 642 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 816 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 931 |
| Sep | 85 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 742 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 15% | <1 | 462 |
| Nov | 68 | 42 | 83% | 5 | 191 |
| Dec | 61 | 37 | 98% | 11 | 101 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Summerville 4W, SC (65 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, Charleston International Airport, SC, 19 miles southeast of Ridgeville, has a last frost 15 days earlier (March 7), a first frost 15 days later (November 27), a season 28 days longer.
When it snows in Ridgeville, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Givhans Ferry 2 ESE, SC, 2.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29472
| 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 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 29472 is 5 miles from Summerville 4W, SC, which stands at 65 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29485 (Summerville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29472 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.