USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29801 — Aiken, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Aiken 2 E, SC (542 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Aiken, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 19 in half of years and has passed by April 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 14, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 241 days (NOAA, Aiken 2 E, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 19
- First fall frost
- November 14
- Growing season
- 241 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 17%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Aiken
Half of springs at Aiken 2 E, SC see their last 32°F night by March 19; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 5. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 5 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 57% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 14 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around November 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 241 days in a typical year, longer than at 75% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 271 days one year in ten and falls short of 219 one year in ten. On average 41 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 March 31, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 50%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 28°F | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F84% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F50% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 |
| 20°F84% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 29 |
| 16°F50% of yrs | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Aiken 2 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 29801 →Compare Aiken with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Graniteville 1.2 NE, SC, 4 miles west of Aiken and 244 feet lower, has a last frost 21 days later (April 9), a first frost 13 days earlier (November 1), a season 35 days shorter.
When it snows in Aiken, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Aiken 5SE, SC, 5.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29801
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 8 – January 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 22 – February 5 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 19 – March 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 31 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 14 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 29801 is 2 miles from Aiken 2 E, SC, which stands at 542 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 29801 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.