USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29581 — Nichols, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mullins, SC (110 ft), 8 miles west.
Updated
In Nichols, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 233 days (NOAA, Mullins, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 233 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 Nichols
Half of springs at Mullins, SC see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 9, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 84% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 11 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 233 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 257 days one year in ten and falls short of 212 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 9 days longer, to about April 4, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 53%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 26 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F53% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 22 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 11 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 31 |
| 16°F53% of yrs | Dec 18 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 16 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mullins, 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 29581 →Compare Nichols with another place →
Weather by month in Nichols
July is the warmest month at Mullins, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,144 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,032) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 930. Precipitation totals 53.3 inches a year, most in August (6.2") and least in January (3.5"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 33 | 3.5 | 100% | 16 | 51 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 3.6 | 99% | 12 | 66 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 3.8 | 94% | 6 | 166 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 3.5 | 32% | <1 | 350 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Jun | 86 | 67 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 795 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 930 |
| Aug | 88 | 69 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 690 |
| Oct | 74 | 52 | 4.9 | 8% | <1 | 405 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.8 | 94% | 6 | 136 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 4.0 | 98% | 12 | 76 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mullins, SC (110 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, Lumber Rvr Sp, NC, 15 miles northeast of Nichols, has a last frost 6 days later (April 1), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 5), a season 14 days shorter.
When it snows in Nichols, 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, 20.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29581
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 15 – January 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 29 – February 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 26 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 29581 is 8 miles from Mullins, SC, which stands at 110 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29574 (Mullins). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29581 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.