USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29673 — Piedmont, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from W Pelzer, SC (705 ft), 6 miles south.
Updated
In Piedmont, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 219 days (NOAA, W Pelzer, SC).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 219 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 17
- Last snow
- January 29
- Winters with snow
- 63%
- Snow per year
- 1.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Piedmont
Half of springs at W Pelzer, SC see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 17. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 17 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 4 in half of years, as early as October 22 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 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 219 days in a typical year, shorter than at 76% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 242 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 70 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 12 days longer, to about April 13, 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 28 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 6 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 14 |
| 16°F79% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F79% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at W Pelzer, 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 29673 →Compare Piedmont with another place →
Weather by month in Piedmont
July is the warmest month at W Pelzer, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 31°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 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,792 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 87% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,855) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 910. Precipitation totals 48.0 inches a year, most in December (4.9") and least in October (3.2"); May to September bring 40% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 31 | 4.3 | 100% | 19 | 24 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 3.8 | 100% | 15 | 33 |
| Mar | 64 | 40 | 4.7 | 95% | 8 | 144 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 3.9 | 53% | 1 | 308 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 574 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 658 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.2 | 33% | 1 | 353 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 3.8 | 97% | 9 | 117 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 4.9 | 99% | 18 | 38 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at W Pelzer, SC (705 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, 9 miles northeast of Piedmont and 255 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 28), a first frost 3 days later (November 7), a season 6 days longer.
When it snows in Piedmont, South Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Piedmont usually arrives around January 17, and the last of the season around January 29. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at W Pelzer, SC, 5.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 63% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 62 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 29673
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 29673 is 6 miles from W Pelzer, SC, which stands at 705 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29673 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.