USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29532 — Darlington, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Darlington, SC (150 ft), under a mile north.
Updated
In Darlington, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 221 days (NOAA, Darlington, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 221 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
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Darlington
Half of springs at Darlington, SC see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 13 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 6 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 221 days in a typical year, shorter than at 73% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 201 one year in ten. On average 53 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 11 days longer, to about April 10, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 73%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 4 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 |
| 16°F73% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 21 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 24 | Jan 2 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 23 |
| 16°F73% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 8 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Darlington, 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 29532 →Compare Darlington with another place →
Weather by month in Darlington
July is the warmest month at Darlington, SC, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°F and 32°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 43% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,418 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 53% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,176) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 966. Precipitation totals 47.8 inches a year, most in August (5.6") and least in April (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 | 57 | 32 | 3.6 | 100% | 15 | 55 |
| Feb | 60 | 34 | 3.5 | 99% | 12 | 71 |
| Mar | 68 | 40 | 3.6 | 95% | 7 | 187 |
| Apr | 76 | 49 | 3.1 | 43% | <1 | 380 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 647 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 837 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 966 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 908 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 715 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 3.4 | 23% | <1 | 424 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 3.1 | 96% | 6 | 158 |
| Dec | 59 | 35 | 3.7 | 99% | 13 | 71 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Darlington, 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, Florence Regional Airport, SC, 11 miles southeast of Darlington, has a last frost 11 days earlier (March 19), a first frost 7 days later (November 13), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Darlington, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Darlington, SC, 0.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29532
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 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 29532 is under a mile from Darlington, SC, which stands at 150 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 29532 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.