USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29527 — Conway, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Conway, SC (20 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In Conway, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 15 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 22, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 254 days (NOAA, Conway, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 15
- First fall frost
- November 22
- Growing season
- 254 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Conway
Half of springs at Conway, SC see their last 32°F night by March 15; only one in ten is past it by February 21, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 28 20%, and after April 1 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 57% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 22 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 22, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 254 days in a typical year, longer than at 88% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 284 days one year in ten and falls short of 226 one year in ten. On average 39 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 13 days longer, to about March 28, and return around November 9. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 94% of winters and 16°F in 24%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 32°F | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 20°F65% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 22 |
| 16°F24% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 28 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 7 |
| 24°F94% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 28 |
| 20°F65% of yrs | Dec 15 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F24% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Conway, 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 29527 →Compare Conway with another place →
Weather by month in Conway
July is the warmest month at Conway, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 72°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 October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 78% of years and April still brings one in 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,813 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 79% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,316) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 979. Precipitation totals 55.2 inches a year, most in August (7.8") and least in April (3.2"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58 | 35 | 4.3 | 100% | 15 | 71 |
| Feb | 61 | 38 | 3.6 | 93% | 8 | 86 |
| Mar | 68 | 44 | 3.8 | 78% | 3 | 224 |
| Apr | 76 | 52 | 3.2 | 12% | <1 | 419 |
| May | 83 | 61 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 670 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 846 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 979 |
| Aug | 89 | 71 | 7.8 | 0% | 0 | 935 |
| Sep | 85 | 66 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 762 |
| Oct | 77 | 55 | 3.8 | 3% | 0 | 493 |
| Nov | 68 | 44 | 3.2 | 66% | 3 | 221 |
| Dec | 61 | 39 | 4.0 | 95% | 10 | 107 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Conway, SC (20 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, Myrtle Beach, SC, 17 miles east of Conway, has a last frost 6 days later (March 21), a first frost 9 days earlier (November 13), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Conway, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Conway, SC, 4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29527
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 4 – January 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 18 – February 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 30 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 8 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 22 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 29527 is 4 miles from Conway, SC, which stands at 20 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29579 (Myrtle Beach). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29527 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.