USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29842 — Beech Island, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Augusta Bush Field Airport, GA (132 ft), 7 miles southwest.
Updated
In Beech Island, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 23 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 232 days (NOAA, Augusta Bush Field Airport, GA).
- Last spring frost
- March 23
- First fall frost
- November 9
- 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
- 30%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Beech Island
Half of springs at Augusta Bush Field Airport, GA see their last 32°F night by March 23; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 9 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 9 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 12 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 258 days one year in ten and falls short of 210 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 5, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 46%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F85% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 17 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 19 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 12 |
| 20°F85% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Augusta Bush Field Airport, GA, 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 29842 →Compare Beech Island with another place →
Weather by month in Beech Island
July is the warmest month at Augusta Bush Field Airport, GA, averaging 94°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°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 87% of years and April still brings one in 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,095 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 89% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 41% of them (2,490) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,018. Precipitation totals 44.3 inches a year, most in June (4.8") and least in October (2.6"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 35 | 3.8 | 100% | 15 | 83 |
| Feb | 64 | 38 | 3.7 | 99% | 10 | 110 |
| Mar | 71 | 44 | 4.1 | 87% | 5 | 262 |
| Apr | 79 | 51 | 2.9 | 27% | 1 | 439 |
| May | 86 | 60 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 705 |
| Jun | 91 | 68 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Jul | 94 | 72 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 1018 |
| Aug | 93 | 71 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 986 |
| Sep | 88 | 65 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 792 |
| Oct | 79 | 53 | 2.6 | 17% | 1 | 500 |
| Nov | 69 | 42 | 2.7 | 92% | 7 | 206 |
| Dec | 62 | 37 | 3.9 | 99% | 12 | 104 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Augusta Bush Field Airport, GA (132 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, Augusta Daniel Field Airport, GA, 9 miles west of Beech Island and 291 feet higher, has a last frost 24 days earlier (February 27), a first frost 25 days later (December 4), a season 51 days longer.
When it snows in Beech Island, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Augusta Bush Field Airport, GA, 7.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29842
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 12 – January 26 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 26 – February 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 23 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 29842 is 7 miles from Augusta Bush Field Airport, GA, which stands at 132 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 30906 (Augusta). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29842 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.