USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29590 — Salters, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Kingstree, SC (75 ft), 7 miles north.
Updated
In Salters, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 223 days (NOAA, Kingstree, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 223 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
- 31%
- Snow per year
- 1.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Salters
Half of springs at Kingstree, SC see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 12, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 6 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 223 days in a typical year, shorter than at 70% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 246 days one year in ten and falls short of 203 one year in ten. On average 64 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 7, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 76%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 27 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 22 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 18 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Kingstree, 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 29590 →Compare Salters with another place →
Weather by month in Salters
July is the warmest month at Kingstree, SC, averaging 93°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°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 September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,619 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 67% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,229) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 959.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 33 | 100% | 16 | 60 |
| Feb | 63 | 35 | 100% | 13 | 79 |
| Mar | 70 | 41 | 96% | 8 | 215 |
| Apr | 78 | 49 | 39% | 1 | 406 |
| May | 84 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 639 |
| Jun | 90 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Jul | 93 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 936 |
| Sep | 86 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 735 |
| Oct | 79 | 51 | 29% | 1 | 468 |
| Nov | 70 | 41 | 94% | 9 | 211 |
| Dec | 61 | 35 | 99% | 17 | 80 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Kingstree, 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, Cades 4 W, SC, 16 miles north of Salters, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 27), a first frost 3 days later (November 9), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Salters, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 16 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Cades 4 W, SC, 16.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29590
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 29590 is 7 miles from Kingstree, SC, which stands at 75 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 29556 (Kingstree). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29590 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.