USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29693 — Westminster, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Walhalla, SC (980 ft), 9 miles north.
Updated
In Westminster, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by April 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 203 days (NOAA, Walhalla, SC).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 203 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
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 2.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Westminster
Half of springs at Walhalla, SC see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 23, and one in ten still has one after April 25. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 25 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 84% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 30 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 203 days in a typical year, shorter than at 95% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 226 days one year in ten and falls short of 181 one year in ten. On average 79 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 22, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 92% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 8.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 23 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Jan 30 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 21 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 28 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 8 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Walhalla, 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 29693 →Compare Westminster with another place →
Weather by month in Westminster
July is the warmest month at Walhalla, SC, averaging 89°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 29°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 78% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,422 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 95% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,678) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 853. Precipitation totals 61.2 inches a year, most in August (6.2") and least in November (4.5"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 29 | 5.4 | 100% | 20 | 21 |
| Feb | 56 | 31 | 4.8 | 100% | 16 | 29 |
| Mar | 63 | 37 | 5.2 | 98% | 10 | 112 |
| Apr | 72 | 45 | 4.8 | 78% | 2 | 271 |
| May | 79 | 55 | 4.8 | 3% | 0 | 518 |
| Jun | 85 | 63 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 727 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 853 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 826 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 628 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 4.6 | 57% | 2 | 315 |
| Nov | 62 | 37 | 4.5 | 100% | 12 | 90 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 5.8 | 100% | 18 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Walhalla, SC (980 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, Toccoa, GA, 13 miles west of Westminster, has a last frost 19 days earlier (March 23), a first frost 12 days later (November 11), a season 30 days longer.
When it snows in Westminster, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Long Creek, SC, 12.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29693
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 29693 is 9 miles from Walhalla, SC, which stands at 980 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29693 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.