USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 29906 — Beaufort, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Beaufort Mcas, SC (37 ft), 3 miles northeast.
Updated
In Beaufort, the last spring frost (32°F) is around February 28 in half of years and has passed by March 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 3, as early as November 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 279 days (NOAA, Beaufort Mcas, SC).
- Last spring frost
- February 28
- First fall frost
- December 3
- Growing season
- 279 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 Mcas, SC see their last 32°F night by February 28; only one in ten is past it by February 2, and one in ten still has one after March 21. Planting tender crops after March 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 15 20%, and after March 21 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 95% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 3 in half of years, as early as November 14 one year in ten, and holds off past January 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 24 days later, around December 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 8, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 279 days in a typical year, longer than at 95% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 312 days one year in ten and falls short of 248 one year in ten. On average 17 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 14 days longer, to about March 14, and return around November 18. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 64% of winters and 16°F in 1%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 32°F | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| 24°F64% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 27 |
| 20°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 32°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 |
| 28°F96% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 28 |
| 24°F64% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 29 | Feb 7 |
| 20°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| 16°F1% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Beaufort Mcas, 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 29906 →Compare Beaufort with another place →
Weather by month in Beaufort
July is the warmest month at Beaufort Mcas, SC, averaging 92°F by day and 75°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 40°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 82% of years and March still brings one in 48% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 6,582 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 97% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 41% of them (2,714) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,028. Precipitation totals 45.1 inches a year, most in August (6.5") and least in May (2.5"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 40 | 2.9 | 93% | 8 | 115 |
| Feb | 64 | 43 | 2.9 | 82% | 3 | 145 |
| Mar | 70 | 49 | 3.1 | 48% | 1 | 307 |
| Apr | 77 | 56 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 496 |
| May | 84 | 64 | 2.5 | 0% | 0 | 749 |
| Jun | 89 | 71 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 903 |
| Jul | 92 | 75 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 1028 |
| Aug | 90 | 74 | 6.5 | 0% | 0 | 998 |
| Sep | 86 | 70 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Oct | 78 | 59 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 576 |
| Nov | 69 | 48 | 2.5 | 41% | 1 | 283 |
| Dec | 63 | 43 | 3.2 | 81% | 4 | 157 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Beaufort Mcas, SC (37 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 Wwtp, SC, 5 miles southeast of Beaufort, has a last frost 3 days later (March 3), a first frost 6 days later (December 9), a season 3 days longer.
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, 18.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29906
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 20 – January 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 3 – January 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| February 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 3 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 29906 is 3 miles from Beaufort Mcas, SC, which stands at 37 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 29906 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.