USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29645 — Gray Court, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fountain Inn 2 SW, SC (830 ft), 7 miles northwest.
Updated
In Gray Court, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 222 days (NOAA, Fountain Inn 2 SW, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 222 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
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gray Court
Half of springs at Fountain Inn 2 SW, SC see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 10, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 14 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 44% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 245 days one year in ten and falls short of 200 one year in ten. On average 61 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 April 11, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 79%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 14 |
| 16°F79% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 30 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 |
| 16°F79% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fountain Inn 2 SW, 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 29645 →Compare Gray Court with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Laurens, SC, 9 miles southeast of Gray Court and 241 feet lower, has a last frost 3 days later (April 1), the same first-frost date, a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Gray Court, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Woodruff 5 NW, SC, 11.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29645
| 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 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 29645 is 7 miles from Fountain Inn 2 SW, SC, which stands at 830 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 29681 (Simpsonville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29645 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.