USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 29902 — Beaufort, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Beaufort Wwtp, SC (25 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Beaufort, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 3 in half of years and has passed by March 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 9, as early as November 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 282 days (NOAA, Beaufort Wwtp, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 3
- First fall frost
- December 9
- Growing season
- 282 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 5%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Beaufort
Half of springs at Beaufort Wwtp, SC see their last 32°F night by March 3; only one in ten is past it by February 2, and one in ten still has one after March 20. Planting tender crops after March 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 14 20%, and after March 20 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 December 9 in half of years, as early as November 21 one year in ten, and holds off past January 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around December 28; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 11, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 282 days in a typical year, longer than at 97% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 313 days one year in ten and falls short of 254 one year in ten. On average 13 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 March 16, and return around November 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 73% of winters and 16°F in 4%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 32°F | Feb 2 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 24°F73% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| 20°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 |
| 32°F | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 4 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 21 |
| 24°F73% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 6 |
| 20°F30% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F4% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Beaufort Wwtp, 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 29902 →Compare Beaufort with another place →
Weather by month in Beaufort
July is the warmest month at Beaufort Wwtp, SC, averaging 91°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 61°F and 41°F. A freezing night is all but certain in January (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, February still brings one in 83% of years and March still brings one in 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,719 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the most of the 105 South Carolina stations. 41% of them (2,783) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,023.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 41 | 92% | 6 | 116 |
| Feb | 65 | 44 | 83% | 2 | 154 |
| Mar | 72 | 49 | 57% | 1 | 335 |
| Apr | 77 | 56 | 1% | 0 | 507 |
| May | 84 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 764 |
| Jun | 89 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Jul | 91 | 75 | 0% | 0 | 1023 |
| Aug | 90 | 75 | 0% | 0 | 1004 |
| Sep | 86 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Oct | 79 | 61 | 0% | 0 | 614 |
| Nov | 70 | 51 | 25% | <1 | 320 |
| Dec | 62 | 44 | 83% | 4 | 142 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Beaufort Wwtp, SC (25 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, Beaufort Mcas, SC, 5 miles northwest of Beaufort, has a last frost 3 days earlier (February 28), a first frost 6 days earlier (December 3), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Beaufort, South Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Yemassee 1 N, SC, 21.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29902
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 23 – January 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 6 – January 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 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 29902 is 2 miles from Beaufort Wwtp, SC, which stands at 25 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 29910 (Bluffton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29902 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.