USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29676 — Salem, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jocassee 8 WNW, SC (2,540 ft), 9 miles northwest.
Updated
In Salem, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 26 in half of years and has passed by May 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 17, as early as October 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 174 days (NOAA, Jocassee 8 WNW, SC).
- Last spring frost
- April 26
- First fall frost
- October 17
- Growing season
- 174 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
- 42%
- Snow per year
- 3.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Salem
Half of springs at Jocassee 8 WNW, SC see their last 32°F night by April 26; only one in ten is past it by April 11, and one in ten still has one after May 12. Planting tender crops after May 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 6 20%, and after May 12 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 October 17 in half of years, as early as October 5 one year in ten, and holds off past November 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around October 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 29, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 174 days in a typical year, the shortest of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 196 days one year in ten and falls short of 152 one year in ten. On average 114 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 May 7, and return around October 9. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 17 and February 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 4 | May 7 | May 11 | May 13 | May 17 | May 23 |
| 32°F | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 28°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 29 |
| 24°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 20°F | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 26 | Oct 1 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 5 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Nov 1 |
| 28°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 24°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 30 |
| 20°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jocassee 8 WNW, 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 29676 →Compare Salem with another place →
Weather by month in Salem
July is the warmest month at Jocassee 8 WNW, SC, averaging 80°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°F and 26°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,832 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the fewest of the 105 South Carolina stations. 35% of them (996) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 615. Precipitation totals 87.5 inches a year, most in August (8.9") and least in February (6.2"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 26 | 8.1 | 100% | 24 | 7 |
| Feb | 52 | 28 | 6.2 | 100% | 21 | 10 |
| Mar | 58 | 32 | 7.3 | 100% | 16 | 40 |
| Apr | 66 | 39 | 6.7 | 98% | 7 | 132 |
| May | 72 | 47 | 6.6 | 35% | 1 | 307 |
| Jun | 78 | 56 | 7.8 | 0% | 0 | 499 |
| Jul | 80 | 59 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Aug | 80 | 59 | 8.9 | 0% | 0 | 598 |
| Sep | 75 | 53 | 7.6 | 3% | 0 | 412 |
| Oct | 67 | 41 | 6.4 | 88% | 6 | 164 |
| Nov | 59 | 32 | 7.1 | 100% | 18 | 37 |
| Dec | 50 | 28 | 7.7 | 100% | 22 | 10 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Jocassee 8 WNW, SC (2,540 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, Walhalla, SC, 11 miles southwest of Salem and 1,560 feet lower, has a last frost 15 days earlier (April 11), a first frost 13 days later (October 30), a season 29 days longer.
When it snows in Salem, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Jocassee 8 WNW, SC, 9.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29676
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 15 – March 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 29 – April 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 17 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 29676 is 9 miles from Jocassee 8 WNW, SC, which stands at 2,540 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29676 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.