USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29714 — Fort Lawn, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chester 1 SE, SC (560 ft), 17 miles west.
Updated
In Fort Lawn, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 213 days (NOAA, Chester 1 SE, SC).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 213 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
- 15%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fort Lawn
Half of springs at Chester 1 SE, SC see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 19 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 2 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 213 days in a typical year, shorter than at 88% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 237 days one year in ten and falls short of 193 one year in ten. On average 83 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 13 days longer, to about April 16, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 87%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 1 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 8 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 22 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 27 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 16 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chester 1 SE, 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 29714 →Compare Fort Lawn with another place →
Weather by month in Fort Lawn
July is the warmest month at Chester 1 SE, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°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 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,818 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 86% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,871) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 914. Precipitation totals 46.0 inches a year, most in August (4.4") and least in October (3.1"); 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 | 30 | 4.1 | 100% | 20 | 30 |
| Feb | 56 | 32 | 3.4 | 99% | 16 | 41 |
| Mar | 64 | 38 | 4.2 | 95% | 11 | 139 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 3.9 | 60% | 3 | 313 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 568 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 781 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 914 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 870 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.1 | 40% | 2 | 347 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 3.4 | 97% | 12 | 107 |
| Dec | 55 | 32 | 4.0 | 100% | 19 | 43 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Chester 1 SE, SC (560 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, Winthrop Univ, SC, 18 miles northwest of Fort Lawn, has a last frost 7 days earlier (March 27), a first frost 3 days later (November 5), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Fort Lawn, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Great Falls, SC, 9.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29714
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 29714 is 17 miles from Chester 1 SE, SC, which stands at 560 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29706 (Chester). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29714 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.