USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29554 — Hemingway, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hemingway 8 ESE, SC (40 ft), 3 miles southeast.
Updated
In Hemingway, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 23 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 15, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 240 days (NOAA, Hemingway 8 ESE, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 23
- First fall frost
- November 15
- Growing season
- 240 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 Hemingway
Half of springs at Hemingway 8 ESE, SC see their last 32°F night by March 23; only one in ten is past it by March 2, 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 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 15 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 240 days in a typical year, longer than at 72% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 269 days one year in ten and falls short of 216 one year in ten. On average 52 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 2, and return around November 4. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 36%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 14 |
| 20°F74% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Jan 1 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 21 |
| 20°F74% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hemingway 8 ESE, 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 29554 →Compare Hemingway with another place →
Weather by month in Hemingway
July is the warmest month at Hemingway 8 ESE, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°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 89% of years and April still brings one in 24% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,520 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 60% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,180) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 945. Precipitation totals 50.7 inches a year, most in September (6.9") and least in December (3.1"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 57 | 35 | 3.4 | 100% | 15 | 80 |
| Feb | 61 | 37 | 3.4 | 97% | 13 | 87 |
| Mar | 67 | 42 | 3.8 | 89% | 6 | 193 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 3.2 | 24% | 1 | 389 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 617 |
| Jun | 87 | 68 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 814 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 6.5 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Sep | 84 | 65 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 732 |
| Oct | 76 | 53 | 4.5 | 8% | <1 | 451 |
| Nov | 66 | 43 | 3.4 | 78% | 7 | 186 |
| Dec | 60 | 38 | 3.1 | 97% | 11 | 113 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hemingway 8 ESE, SC (40 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, Andrews, SC, 21 miles southwest of Hemingway, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days earlier (November 13), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Hemingway, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Andrews, SC, 21 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29554
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 12 – January 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 26 – February 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 15 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 29554 is 3 miles from Hemingway 8 ESE, SC, which stands at 40 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 29554 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.