USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29609 — Greenville, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Greenville Dwtn Airport, SC (1,048 ft), 4 miles southeast.
Updated
In Greenville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 16 in half of years and has passed by April 2 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as November 4 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 250 days (NOAA, Greenville Dwtn Airport, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 16
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 250 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 30%
- Snow per year
- 1.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Greenville
Half of springs at Greenville Dwtn Airport, SC see their last 32°F night by March 16; only one in ten is past it by February 26, and one in ten still has one after April 2. Planting tender crops after March 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 27 20%, and after April 2 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 20 in half of years, as early as November 4 one year in ten, and holds off past December 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around December 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 22, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 250 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 275 days one year in ten and falls short of 226 one year in ten. On average 44 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 March 29, and return around November 7. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 44%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 |
| 28°F | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F81% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 28°F | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Jan 1 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 15 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 |
| 20°F81% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Greenville Dwtn Airport, 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 29609 →Compare Greenville with another place →
Weather by month in Greenville
July is the warmest month at Greenville Dwtn Airport, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 35°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 84% of years and April still brings one in 12% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,506 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 58% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,219) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 972. Precipitation totals 47.2 inches a year, most in July (5.2") and least in October (3.2"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 35 | 4.0 | 100% | 15 | 45 |
| Feb | 58 | 38 | 3.7 | 98% | 9 | 70 |
| Mar | 65 | 44 | 4.3 | 84% | 4 | 198 |
| Apr | 75 | 52 | 3.6 | 12% | <1 | 405 |
| May | 81 | 61 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 659 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 843 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Aug | 89 | 71 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Sep | 84 | 65 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Oct | 74 | 54 | 3.2 | 4% | <1 | 428 |
| Nov | 64 | 44 | 3.6 | 75% | 4 | 161 |
| Dec | 56 | 37 | 4.3 | 97% | 12 | 63 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Greenville Dwtn Airport, SC (1,048 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, SC, 5 miles south of Greenville, has a last frost 12 days later (March 28), a first frost 13 days earlier (November 7), a season 25 days shorter.
When it snows in Greenville, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Travelers Rest 2NE, SC, 6.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29609
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 5 – January 19 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 19 – February 2 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 16 – March 2 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 16 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 29609 is 4 miles from Greenville Dwtn Airport, SC, which stands at 1,048 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 29687 (Taylors). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29609 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.