USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29520 — Cheraw, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Cheraw, SC (150 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Cheraw, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 231 days (NOAA, Cheraw, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 231 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 8%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cheraw
Half of springs at Cheraw, SC see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 84% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 9 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, longer than at 50% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 209 one year in ten. On average 65 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 10 days longer, to about April 5, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 60%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F91% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 11 |
| 24°F | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F91% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Cheraw, 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 29520 →Compare Cheraw with another place →
Weather by month in Cheraw
July is the warmest month at Cheraw, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 31°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,178 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,035) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 945. Precipitation totals 48.8 inches a year, most in September (5.4") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 31 | 3.5 | 100% | 19 | 42 |
| Feb | 58 | 34 | 3.1 | 99% | 14 | 53 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 3.8 | 91% | 7 | 163 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 3.3 | 32% | 1 | 359 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 606 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 813 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 899 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 699 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.9 | 15% | 1 | 398 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.3 | 92% | 8 | 141 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 3.7 | 99% | 15 | 60 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Cheraw, SC (150 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, Chesterfield 3 E, SC, 7 miles west of Cheraw, has a last frost 6 days later (April 1), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 3), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Cheraw, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cheraw, SC, 2.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29520
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 15 – January 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 29 – February 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 29520 is 3 miles from Cheraw, SC, which stands at 150 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29520 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.