USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29536 — Dillon, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dillon, SC (118 ft), under a mile southeast.
Updated
In Dillon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 227 days (NOAA, Dillon, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 227 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
- 40%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Dillon
Half of springs at Dillon, SC see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 9, and one in ten still has one after April 12. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 12 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 66% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 8 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 227 days in a typical year, shorter than at 58% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 59 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 8, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 62%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F62% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F62% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dillon, 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 29536 →Compare Dillon with another place →
Weather by month in Dillon
July is the warmest month at Dillon, SC, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°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 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,372 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,115) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 962. Precipitation totals 48.7 inches a year, most in July (5.5") and least in November (3.1"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 4.0 | 100% | 17 | 51 |
| Feb | 60 | 34 | 3.3 | 100% | 13 | 66 |
| Mar | 68 | 40 | 3.9 | 92% | 7 | 181 |
| Apr | 76 | 48 | 3.7 | 40% | 1 | 366 |
| May | 83 | 57 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 625 |
| Jun | 89 | 66 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 826 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 962 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 916 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 717 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 4.0 | 20% | <1 | 426 |
| Nov | 67 | 40 | 3.1 | 93% | 8 | 164 |
| Dec | 59 | 35 | 3.1 | 99% | 14 | 72 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dillon, SC (118 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, Mullins, SC, 17 miles southeast of Dillon, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 3 days later (November 11), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Dillon, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Dillon, SC, 0.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29536
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 29536 is under a mile from Dillon, SC, which stands at 118 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29536 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.