Frost dates for North Charleston, South Carolina
In North Charleston, half of springs have had their last frost by March 7 (and 1 spring in 10 still has one after March 27), and half of falls have had their first frost by November 27, leaving about 266 frost-free days in a typical year. Here is how sure those dates are, what they mean for planting, and where they come from.
Frost dates for
North Charleston, South Carolina
Last spring frost
March 7
Half of springs have their last frost by this date. For a safer bet, wait until March 27: only 1 spring in 10 has a frost after that.
First fall frost
November 27
Half of falls have their first frost by this date. In 1 fall in 10 it comes by November 8.
Growing season
266 days
Frost-free days in a typical year. 9 years in 10 get at least 238.
Hardiness zone
9a
2023 USDA map: the coldest night of winter averages 20°F to 25°F. On the 2012 map it was 8b, half a zone colder. ZIP codes within about 6 miles of the city's center: 1 in 8b and 6 in 9a.
Stations near you disagree. NOAA's Charleston International Airport (2 miles away, at 40 feet above sea level), the one we used, gives a typical last frost of March 7 and a typical first frost of November 27. NOAA's Charleston City (10 miles away, at 10 feet above sea level) gives a typical last frost of February 4 and a typical first frost of December 30. So the typical last frost could fall anywhere from February 4 to March 7 and the typical first frost from November 27 to December 30, depending on whether your garden is more like one or the other. Local terrain matters: hillsides, valley floors, water and city heat can change frost dates a lot over a few miles. Treat the dates here as a starting point, and compare with a nearby gardener or your county extension office.
Print a year planner for North Charleston
Frost risk through the year
How sure are these dates?
A frost date is a probability, not a promise. NOAA worked out, from 30 years of nightly lows, how often the last spring frost and the first fall frost fall on each date. The middle column is the typical year. The outer columns are the early and late years that come about once a decade.
| Early year 1 in 10 | Typical year 1 in 2 | Late year 1 in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Last frost in spring | February 12 | March 7 | March 27 |
| First frost in fall | November 8 | November 27 | December 21 |
The frost-free season between them runs 266 days in a typical year. In 1 year in 10 it is 298 days or longer, and in 1 year in 10 it is 238 days or shorter.
- Hard freeze (28°F): typically last on February 20 and first on December 15. It is a harder freeze than the 32°F frost line, cold enough to damage many garden plants; how hardy a crop is decides whether it comes through. (The National Weather Service's own hard-freeze threshold varies from office to office.)
- Frost possible (36°F at the station): typically last on March 21 and first on November 13. On clear, still nights the ground can be several degrees colder than the thermometer, so frost can form on plants when the official reading is in the mid-30s.
In 8 springs out of 10, the last frost in North Charleston comes between February 12 and March 27, a window of 43 days. That is wider than at most NOAA stations (the typical window is 31 days), so spring here is less predictable than average: lean toward the later date.
Among South Carolina's 102 NOAA stations with a frost every year, 93 percent have their typical last frost later than North Charleston does.
Planting calendar for North Charleston
These dates count from the typical last and first frosts, using the planting rules published by Colorado State University Extension (spring), Virginia Cooperative Extension (fall crops) and University of Minnesota Extension (garlic, where winters are hard). Weather in any one year can run early or late, so check the forecast before you plant tender crops.
We don't give a garlic date here. The rule we use, from the University of Minnesota Extension, counts from the first killing frost, and it works where a hard freeze comes every year before the ground freezes. Your county's extension office can tell you when to plant garlic in your climate.
| When | What to do | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| January | ||
| January 3 to 31 | Cauliflower Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| January 17 to February 7 | Eggplant Start seeds indoors | 6 to 9 weeks before planting out |
| January 24 to February 7 | Peppers Start seeds indoors | 6 to 8 weeks before planting out |
| January 31 to February 14 | Tomatoes Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting out |
| February | ||
| February 7 to 21 | Peas, spinach, lettuce, radishes, onion sets, turnips Sow outdoors, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 7 to 21 | Broccoli and cabbage Plant out, as early as | hardy crops: 2 to 4 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 21 to March 7 | Beets, carrots, potatoes, Swiss chard Plant outdoors, as early as | semi-hardy crops: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| February 21 to March 7 | Cauliflower Plant out, as early as | semi-hardy: up to 2 weeks before the typical last frost |
| March | ||
| March 7 | Snap beans, sweet corn, cucumbers, summer squash Sow outdoors around | tender crops: around the typical last frost date |
| March 21 | Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant Plant out from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| March 21 | Melons, winter squash, pumpkins, lima beans Sow outdoors from | very tender: 2 weeks or more after the typical last frost |
| July | ||
| July 2 to 16 | Cabbage for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by August 20 |
| July 22 to August 5 | Broccoli for fall Start seeds | set the plants out by September 9 |
| August | ||
| August 31 | Snap beans for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September | ||
| September 4 | Carrots for fall Last date to sow | 70 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 5 | Cucumbers for fall Last date to sow | 55 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 9 | Peas for fall Last date to sow | 65 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 10 | Summer squash for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth, plus 2 weeks because frost kills it |
| September 14 | Leaf lettuce and beets for fall Last date to sow | 60 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| September 24 | Turnips and kohlrabi for fall Last date to sow | 50 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October | ||
| October 4 | Spinach for fall Last date to sow | 40 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| October 14 | Radishes for fall Last date to sow | 30 days to harvest, plus 2 weeks for slower fall growth |
| November | ||
| November 8 | Tomatoes, peppers, squash, melons, cucumbers Watch the forecast from | in 1 fall in 10 the first frost comes by this date; pick tender crops before a frost |
| December | ||
| December 20 to January 17 | Broccoli and cabbage Start seeds indoors | 5 to 7 weeks before planting them out |
Want more insurance? Shift every spring date 20 days later. That plans around March 27, the date after which only 1 spring in 10 has a frost.
For spring bulbs such as tulips and daffodils, plant once the soil has cooled to about 50 to 55°F and keep going until a couple of weeks before the ground freezes. Our guide to fall planting explains how to tell.
Where these numbers come from
These dates come from NOAA's weather station Charleston International Airport (station USW00013880), 2 miles from the center of North Charleston. It sits at about the same elevation, 40 feet above sea level. NOAA rates this station's record as standard: at least 24 of the 30 years, with gaps filled from nearby stations.
The same station also gives the frost dates for Summerville, Goose Creek and Hanahan.
Our ZIP code lookup matches these 11 ZIP codes to the same station, so they get the same dates: 29404, 29405, 29406, 29410, 29414, 29418, 29420, 29445, 29456, 29470, 29492. Hardiness zones are worked out separately for each ZIP code.
Nearby places
- Charleston, South Carolina: frost not every year (8 miles away)
- Savannah, Georgia: last frost around March 2, first frost around November 30 (90 miles away)
- Columbia, South Carolina: last frost around March 13, first frost around November 19 (90 miles away)
See frost dates across South Carolina, or look up your own ZIP code for the station nearest you. Want the background? Read what a last frost date really means.