USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29829 — Graniteville, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Graniteville 1.2 NE, SC (298 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In Graniteville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, Graniteville 1.2 NE, SC).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 206 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 Graniteville
Half of springs at Graniteville 1.2 NE, SC see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 22, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 84% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 13, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, shorter than at 92% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 227 days one year in ten and falls short of 188 one year in ten. On average 75 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 20, and return around October 24. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 86%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 22 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 |
| 24°F | Feb 10 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 28 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 17 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 12 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Graniteville 1.2 NE, 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 29829 →Compare Graniteville with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Aiken 2 E, SC, 8 miles east of Graniteville and 244 feet higher, has a last frost 21 days earlier (March 19), a first frost 13 days later (November 14), a season 35 days longer.
When it snows in Graniteville, 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, 9.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29829
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 29829 is 3 miles from Graniteville 1.2 NE, SC, which stands at 298 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 29829 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.