USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29730 — Rock Hill, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Winthrop Univ, SC (650 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Rock Hill, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 27 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 225 days (NOAA, Winthrop Univ, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 27
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 225 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rock Hill
Half of springs at Winthrop Univ, SC see their last 32°F night by March 27; only one in ten is past it by March 10, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 66% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 225 days in a typical year, shorter than at 65% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 248 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 51 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 9, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 74%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 12 |
| 16°F74% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F74% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 9 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Winthrop Univ, 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 29730 →Compare Rock Hill with another place →
Weather by month in Rock Hill
July is the warmest month at Winthrop Univ, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 33°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 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,205 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 60% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,081) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 936. Precipitation totals 42.6 inches a year, most in June (4.1") and least in October (2.9"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 33 | 3.6 | 100% | 15 | 39 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 3.1 | 99% | 11 | 58 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 3.9 | 94% | 6 | 179 |
| Apr | 75 | 50 | 3.7 | 35% | <1 | 377 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 617 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 811 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 936 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 697 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 2.9 | 32% | 1 | 396 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.3 | 95% | 6 | 142 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 3.6 | 99% | 12 | 55 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Winthrop Univ, SC (650 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, Rock Hill York Co Airport, SC, 6 miles northwest of Rock Hill, has a last frost 4 days later (March 31), a first frost 1 day earlier (November 4), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Rock Hill, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Fort Mill 4 NW, SC, 7.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29730
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 16 – January 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 30 – February 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 29730 is 2 miles from Winthrop Univ, SC, which stands at 650 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29730 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.