USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29605 — Greenville, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Greenville, SC (960 ft), 2 miles northeast.
Updated
In Greenville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 225 days (NOAA, Greenville, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 225 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- January 5
- Last snow
- January 21
- Winters with snow
- 75%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
12 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Greenville
Half of springs at Greenville, SC see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 12. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 12 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 66% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 225 days in a typical year, shorter than at 65% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 247 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 73 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 11 days longer, to about April 8, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 72%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 27 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F72% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 11 |
| 24°F | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 23 |
| 16°F72% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Greenville, 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 29605 →Compare Greenville with another place →
Weather by month in Greenville
July is the warmest month at Greenville, SC, averaging 87°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 30°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 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,479 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 94% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,726) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 852. Precipitation totals 50.6 inches a year, most in December (5.1") and least in February (3.5"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 30 | 4.4 | 100% | 19 | 20 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 3.5 | 100% | 16 | 30 |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 4.3 | 97% | 9 | 123 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 4.2 | 38% | 1 | 299 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 524 |
| Jun | 84 | 65 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Jul | 87 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 852 |
| Aug | 86 | 68 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Sep | 80 | 62 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 625 |
| Oct | 70 | 50 | 3.9 | 23% | 1 | 317 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 | 4.0 | 92% | 8 | 98 |
| Dec | 54 | 33 | 5.1 | 99% | 20 | 33 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Greenville, SC (960 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, Greenville Dwtn Airport, SC, 4 miles northeast of Greenville, has a last frost 12 days earlier (March 16), a first frost 13 days later (November 20), a season 25 days longer.
When it snows in Greenville, South Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Greenville usually arrives around January 5, and the last of the season around January 21. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Greenville, SC, 2.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 75% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 66 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 29605
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 29605 is 2 miles from Greenville, SC, which stands at 960 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29607 (Greenville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29605 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.