USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29571 — Marion, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Marion, SC (75 ft), under a mile east.
Updated
In Marion, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 22 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 234 days (NOAA, Marion, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 22
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 234 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 Marion
Half of springs at Marion, SC see their last 32°F night by March 22; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 98% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 11 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 30, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 234 days in a typical year, longer than at 58% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 263 days one year in ten and falls short of 208 one year in ten. On average 49 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 15 days longer, to about April 6, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 49%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 30 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| 20°F86% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Jan 2 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F86% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 28 |
| 16°F49% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Marion, 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 29571 →Compare Marion with another place →
Weather by month in Marion
July is the warmest month at Marion, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 83% of years and April still brings one in 31% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,460 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 55% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,186) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 953.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 63 |
| Feb | 60 | 37 | 99% | 11 | 85 |
| Mar | 67 | 42 | 83% | 5 | 199 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 31% | 1 | 378 |
| May | 82 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 637 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 825 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 953 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 720 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 14% | <1 | 428 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 85% | 7 | 176 |
| Dec | 59 | 37 | 98% | 11 | 90 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Marion, SC (75 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, 9 miles east of Marion, has a last frost 4 days later (March 26), the same first-frost date, a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Marion, 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, 17.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29571
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 11 – January 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 25 – February 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 11 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 29571 is under a mile from Marion, SC, which stands at 75 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 29571 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.