USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29709 — Chesterfield, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chesterfield 3 E, SC (205 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In Chesterfield, 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 3, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, Chesterfield 3 E, 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
- 43%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Chesterfield
Half of springs at Chesterfield 3 E, 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 17. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 12 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 3 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 6, 11 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 243 days one year in ten and falls short of 195 one year in ten. On average 68 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 83%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 7 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 16°F83% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 22 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 28 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F83% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chesterfield 3 E, 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 29709 →Compare Chesterfield with another place →
Weather by month in Chesterfield
July is the warmest month at Chesterfield 3 E, SC, averaging 92°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 32°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 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,418 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 52% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,159) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 959.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 59 |
| Feb | 60 | 35 | 100% | 14 | 75 |
| Mar | 67 | 41 | 96% | 8 | 188 |
| Apr | 76 | 49 | 51% | 1 | 381 |
| May | 83 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 628 |
| Jun | 89 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Jul | 92 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 959 |
| Aug | 91 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 37% | 2 | 422 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 97% | 10 | 154 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 99% | 16 | 75 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chesterfield 3 E, SC (205 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, Cheraw, SC, 12 miles east of Chesterfield, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 6 days later (November 9), a season 15 days longer.
When it snows in Chesterfield, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Chesterfield 3 E, SC, 3.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29709
| 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 29709 is 3 miles from Chesterfield 3 E, SC, which stands at 205 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29709 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.