USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29576 — Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Brookgreen Gardens, SC (20 ft), 5 miles southwest.
Updated
In Murrells Inlet, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 18 in half of years and has passed by April 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 247 days (NOAA, Brookgreen Gardens, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 18
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 247 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 Murrells Inlet
Half of springs at Brookgreen Gardens, SC see their last 32°F night by March 18; only one in ten is past it by February 25, and one in ten still has one after April 3. Planting tender crops after March 25 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 28 20%, and after April 3 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 44% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 18 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 23, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 247 days in a typical year, longer than at 82% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 277 days one year in ten and falls short of 224 one year in ten. On average 31 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 March 28, and return around November 7. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 97% of winters and 16°F in 34%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 3 |
| 28°F | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 | Mar 12 |
| 20°F76% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 26 |
| 16°F34% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 27 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 18 |
| 20°F76% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F34% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Brookgreen Gardens, 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 29576 →Compare Murrells Inlet with another place →
Weather by month in Murrells Inlet
July is the warmest month at Brookgreen Gardens, SC, averaging 88°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 57°F and 37°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 81% of years and April still brings one in 13% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,568 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 64% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,207) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 938. Precipitation totals 55.3 inches a year, most in September (7.1") and least in November (3.0"); 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 | 37 | 3.7 | 99% | 11 | 77 |
| Feb | 59 | 39 | 3.4 | 96% | 7 | 85 |
| Mar | 66 | 44 | 4.1 | 81% | 3 | 212 |
| Apr | 74 | 52 | 3.5 | 13% | <1 | 389 |
| May | 80 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 636 |
| Jun | 86 | 68 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 809 |
| Jul | 88 | 72 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 938 |
| Aug | 87 | 71 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Sep | 83 | 66 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Oct | 76 | 56 | 5.1 | 5% | 0 | 490 |
| Nov | 66 | 45 | 3.0 | 74% | 3 | 211 |
| Dec | 59 | 39 | 4.6 | 97% | 8 | 96 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Brookgreen Gardens, SC (20 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, Myrtle Beach, SC, 18 miles northeast of Murrells Inlet, has a last frost 3 days later (March 21), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 13), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Brookgreen Gardens, SC, 5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29576
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 7 – January 21 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 21 – February 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 18 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 18 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 29576 is 5 miles from Brookgreen Gardens, SC, which stands at 20 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29576 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.