USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29646 — Greenwood, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Greenwood, SC (615 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Greenwood, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 233 days (NOAA, Greenwood, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 233 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
- 45%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Greenwood
Half of springs at Greenwood, SC see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 10. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 10 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 12 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 233 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 260 days one year in ten and falls short of 210 one year in ten. On average 65 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 6, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 57%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 27 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F57% of yrs | Dec 26 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 11 |
| 20°F89% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Feb 4 |
| 16°F57% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Greenwood, 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 29646 →Compare Greenwood with another place →
Weather by month in Greenwood
July is the warmest month at Greenwood, SC, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 88% of years and April still brings one in 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,353 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 52% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,127) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 969.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 100% | 18 | 38 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 99% | 13 | 54 |
| Mar | 67 | 41 | 88% | 8 | 186 |
| Apr | 76 | 49 | 32% | 1 | 382 |
| May | 83 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 635 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 969 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 924 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 714 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 16% | 1 | 417 |
| Nov | 65 | 41 | 84% | 8 | 151 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 99% | 17 | 53 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Greenwood, SC (615 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 Co Airport, SC, 5 miles north of Greenwood, has a last frost 6 days later (April 1), a first frost 10 days earlier (November 2), a season 17 days shorter.
When it snows in Greenwood, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Greenwood, SC, 2.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29646
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 15 – January 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 29 – February 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 12 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 29646 is 2 miles from Greenwood, SC, which stands at 615 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29646 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.