USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29803 — Aiken, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Aiken 5SE, SC (492 ft), under a mile northeast.
Updated
In Aiken, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 in half of years and has passed by April 6 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 232 days (NOAA, Aiken 5SE, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 232 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 5SE, SC see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by March 2, and one in ten still has one after April 6. Planting tender crops after March 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 1 20%, and after April 6 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 7 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 232 days in a typical year, longer than at 51% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 259 days one year in ten and falls short of 208 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 11 days longer, to about April 1, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 56%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 18 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 28°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 27 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 27 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 20 | Jan 30 | Feb 15 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Aiken 5SE, 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 29803 →Compare Aiken with another place →
Weather by month in Aiken
July is the warmest month at Aiken 5SE, SC, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 89% of years and April still brings one in 21% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,739 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 41% of them (2,347) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,001. Precipitation totals 50.8 inches a year, most in July (5.6") and least in October (2.9"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 35 | 4.6 | 100% | 14 | 54 |
| Feb | 60 | 38 | 4.2 | 98% | 10 | 80 |
| Mar | 68 | 44 | 4.7 | 89% | 5 | 220 |
| Apr | 76 | 52 | 3.1 | 21% | 1 | 429 |
| May | 84 | 61 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 687 |
| Jun | 89 | 69 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 877 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 1001 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 944 |
| Sep | 85 | 65 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 753 |
| Oct | 77 | 53 | 2.9 | 25% | 1 | 455 |
| Nov | 67 | 41 | 3.4 | 92% | 6 | 170 |
| Dec | 59 | 36 | 4.3 | 98% | 13 | 69 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Aiken 5SE, SC (492 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, Aiken 2 E, SC, 4 miles north of Aiken, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 19), a first frost 7 days later (November 14), a season 9 days longer.
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, 0.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29803
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 29803 is under a mile from Aiken 5SE, SC, which stands at 492 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29803 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.