USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29572 — Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Myrtle Beach, SC (39 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Myrtle Beach, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 239 days (NOAA, Myrtle Beach, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 239 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 Myrtle Beach
Half of springs at Myrtle Beach, SC see their last 32°F night by March 21; 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 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 13 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 239 days in a typical year, longer than at 69% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 265 days one year in ten and falls short of 216 one year in ten. On average 38 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 April 3, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 44%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 8 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F84% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 17 | Feb 27 |
| 16°F44% 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 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 3 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 13 | Dec 26 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 |
| 20°F84% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Myrtle Beach, 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 29572 →Compare Myrtle Beach with another place →
Weather by month in Myrtle Beach
July is the warmest month at Myrtle Beach, SC, averaging 87°F by day and 72°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 89% of years and April still brings one in 22% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,167 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 65% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,956) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 914.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 34 | 100% | 13 | 41 |
| Feb | 58 | 36 | 98% | 8 | 48 |
| Mar | 64 | 42 | 89% | 4 | 148 |
| Apr | 72 | 51 | 22% | <1 | 336 |
| May | 79 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 597 |
| Jun | 85 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 786 |
| Jul | 87 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 914 |
| Aug | 87 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Sep | 83 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 720 |
| Oct | 76 | 54 | 11% | <1 | 459 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 84% | 3 | 173 |
| Dec | 59 | 36 | 97% | 10 | 69 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Myrtle Beach, SC (39 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, N Myrtle Bch Airport, SC, 5 miles northeast of Myrtle Beach, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 13), a first frost 7 days later (November 20), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Myrtle Beach, SC, 1.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29572
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 29572 is 2 miles from Myrtle Beach, SC, which stands at 39 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 29577 (Myrtle Beach). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29572 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.