USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29682 — Six Mile, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pickens, SC (1,075 ft), 8 miles northeast.
Updated
In Six Mile, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, Pickens, SC).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 216 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
- 23%
- Snow per year
- 1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Six Mile
Half of springs at Pickens, SC see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 18. Planting tender crops after April 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 12 20%, and after April 18 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 57% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 3 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 216 days in a typical year, shorter than at 84% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 238 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 74 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 14 days longer, to about April 15, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 82%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 28 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 20 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pickens, 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 29682 →Compare Six Mile with another place →
Weather by month in Six Mile
July is the warmest month at Pickens, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 30°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 4,789 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 89% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,835) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 910. Precipitation totals 56.7 inches a year, most in December (5.7") and least in May (4.0"); May to September bring 41% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 30 | 5.2 | 100% | 20 | 27 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 4.5 | 100% | 15 | 35 |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 4.9 | 97% | 9 | 129 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 4.7 | 53% | 2 | 307 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 565 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 670 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 4.1 | 38% | 2 | 359 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 4.2 | 98% | 10 | 106 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 5.7 | 99% | 17 | 37 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Pickens, SC (1,075 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, Clemson Oconee Co Airport, SC, 11 miles south of Six Mile and 184 feet lower, has a last frost 11 days earlier (March 21), a first frost 8 days later (November 11), a season 20 days longer.
When it snows in Six Mile, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Pickens, SC, 7.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29682
| 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 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 29682 is 8 miles from Pickens, SC, which stands at 1,075 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29642 (Easley). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29682 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.