USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 29742 — Sharon, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from York 5 SSE, SC (660 ft), 12 miles east.
Updated
In Sharon, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 216 days (NOAA, York 5 SSE, 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sharon
Half of springs at York 5 SSE, SC see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 14 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest 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 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 9 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 237 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 72 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 87%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 11 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 28 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at York 5 SSE, 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 29742 →Compare Sharon with another place →
Weather by month in Sharon
July is the warmest month at York 5 SSE, SC, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°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 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,648 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 91% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,786) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 900. Precipitation totals 44.2 inches a year, most in July (4.4") and least in February (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 | 51 | 30 | 3.6 | 100% | 20 | 26 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 3.1 | 100% | 15 | 42 |
| Mar | 63 | 37 | 4.1 | 97% | 10 | 120 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 3.8 | 52% | 1 | 300 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 543 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 756 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 900 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 854 |
| Sep | 82 | 61 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 651 |
| Oct | 72 | 49 | 3.3 | 39% | 1 | 328 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 3.4 | 99% | 9 | 89 |
| Dec | 54 | 32 | 4.0 | 99% | 16 | 40 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at York 5 SSE, SC (660 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, Ninety Nine Is, SC, 13 miles northwest of Sharon and 160 feet lower, has a last frost 19 days later (April 20), a first frost 10 days earlier (October 24), a season 30 days shorter.
When it snows in Sharon, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Lockhart, SC, 7.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29742
| 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 29742 is 12 miles from York 5 SSE, SC, which stands at 660 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 29745 (York). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29742 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.