USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 29945 — Yemassee, South Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Yemassee 1 N, SC (44 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Yemassee, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 23 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 233 days (NOAA, Yemassee 1 N, SC).
- Last spring frost
- March 23
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 233 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Yemassee
Half of springs at Yemassee 1 N, SC 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 11. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 86% of the 105 South Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 6 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 233 days in a typical year, longer than at 54% of the 105 South Carolina stations; it reaches 263 days one year in ten and falls short of 208 one year in ten. On average 52 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 15 days longer, to about April 7, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 50%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 17 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F87% of yrs | Dec 28 | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 20 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F87% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 29 |
| 16°F50% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Yemassee 1 N, 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 29945 →Compare Yemassee with another place →
Weather by month in Yemassee
July is the warmest month at Yemassee 1 N, SC, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 59°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December 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 84% of years and April still brings one in 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,685 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 72% of the 105 South Carolina stations. 41% of them (2,343) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 931. Precipitation totals 53.7 inches a year, most in June (6.7") and least in November (2.8"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59 | 36 | 3.9 | 100% | 15 | 89 |
| Feb | 64 | 39 | 3.7 | 97% | 10 | 116 |
| Mar | 70 | 44 | 3.7 | 84% | 6 | 247 |
| Apr | 77 | 51 | 3.6 | 27% | 1 | 416 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 657 |
| Jun | 88 | 67 | 6.7 | 0% | 0 | 817 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 931 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 899 |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 723 |
| Oct | 76 | 54 | 4.1 | 26% | 1 | 466 |
| Nov | 68 | 44 | 2.8 | 85% | 8 | 212 |
| Dec | 61 | 38 | 3.8 | 97% | 12 | 110 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Yemassee 1 N, SC (44 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, 15 miles southeast of Yemassee, has a last frost 23 days earlier (February 28), a first frost 27 days later (December 3), a season 46 days longer.
When it snows in Yemassee, 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, 1.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 29945
| 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 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 29945 is 2 miles from Yemassee 1 N, SC, which stands at 44 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 29945 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.