USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29620 — Abbeville, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Calhoun Falls, SC (530 ft), 12 miles southwest.
Updated
In Abbeville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 27 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 226 days (NOAA, Calhoun Falls, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 27
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 226 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
- 21%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Abbeville
Half of springs at Calhoun Falls, SC see their last 32°F night by March 27; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 11 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 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 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 March 30, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 226 days in a typical year, shorter than at 62% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 250 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 60 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 April 6, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 58%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 |
| 24°F | Jan 25 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F58% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 |
| 24°F | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Feb 2 |
| 16°F58% of yrs | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Calhoun Falls, 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 29620 →Compare Abbeville with another place →
Weather by month in Abbeville
July is the warmest month at Calhoun Falls, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 32°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 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,189 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,034) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 959. Precipitation totals 46.9 inches a year, most in December (4.7") and least in April (3.1"); May to September bring 42% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 32 | 4.1 | 100% | 17 | 37 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 4.1 | 99% | 12 | 54 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 4.5 | 92% | 7 | 166 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 3.1 | 32% | <1 | 350 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 609 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 817 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 703 |
| Oct | 75 | 50 | 3.3 | 21% | 1 | 395 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.6 | 94% | 8 | 133 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 4.7 | 98% | 15 | 51 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Calhoun Falls, SC (530 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, Greenwood, SC, 14 miles east of Abbeville, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 26), a first frost 5 days later (November 12), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Abbeville, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Calhoun Falls, SC, 12.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29620
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 16 – January 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 30 – February 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 27 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 29620 is 12 miles from Calhoun Falls, SC, which stands at 530 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29620 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.