U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00385200 · South Carolina

Frost Dates near Chapin, SC

NOAA weather station Little Mountain (USC00385200), South Carolina · elevation 711 ft (217 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

Chapin is the nearest town to the station (4.3 mi away) in GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). The dates below are measured at the station, not in the town itself.

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 7only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 2250% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season234 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season near Chapin, SCSpring: a frost after March 3 in 9 years out of 10, after March 22 in half of the years, after April 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 29 in 1 year out of 10, before November 11 in half of the years, before November 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 234 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 22First frost ~Nov 11Frost season near Chapin, SCSpring: a frost after March 3 in 9 years out of 10, after March 22 in half of the years, after April 7 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 29 in 1 year out of 10, before November 11 in half of the years, before November 30 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 234 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 22First frost ~Nov 11
frost likely chance fading 90% → 10% frost-free in a typical yearThe year at a glance. Blue: frost is likely; the gradient fades as the chance drops from 90% to 10%; green: the frost-free part of a typical year.

Frost dates (32°F)

Probability of frost, based on 28 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 7October 29
50% (typical)March 22November 11
90% (likely)March 3November 30
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
234 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 10
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 26

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 21 (1 day earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 9 (2 days earlier). Frost-free season 234 days.

A shorter, more recent NOAA period. The 30-year normals above remain the main reference: 15 years carry more year-to-year noise.

Add these dates to your calendar Yearly reminders for the typical last frost, the lower-risk planting date and the typical first fall frost (.ics).

How the chance of frost changes with the date

Spring near Chapin: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 7, 20% April 2, 30% March 29, 40% March 26, 50% March 22, 60% March 18, 70% March 15, 80% March 11, 90% March 3. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 22, 2022 March 14, 2023 March 21, 2024 March 19, 2025 March 3, 2026 March 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 7Mar 22Mar 32021: April 222022: March 142023: March 212024: March 192025: March 32026: March 18Fall near Chapin: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 29, 20% November 2, 30% November 5, 40% November 8, 50% November 11, 60% November 14, 70% November 18, 80% November 23, 90% November 30. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 23, 2022 November 14, 2023 November 2, 2024 November 22, 2025 November 11.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 29Nov 11Nov 302021: November 232022: November 142023: November 22024: November 222025: November 11
Two charts, because spring and fall answer different questions: in spring, the chance that a frost still comes after a date; in fall, the chance that the first frost has already come before it. NOAA publishes these odds from 10% to 90%, so the lines stop there. ◆ marks the actual date in each recent year.

What actually happened in recent years

Observed dates of the last spring and first fall frost (32°F) at this station; ◆ marks them on the charts above
YearLast spring frostFirst fall frost
2021April 22November 23
2022March 14November 14
2023March 21November 2
2024March 19November 22
2025March 3November 11
2026March 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

The 234 days between the 50% dates in the Chapin area mark the span in which tender crops can be grown. The 50% date of March 22 is the point at which there is an even chance of a light frost later in spring, and the 50% date of November 11 is the point at which there is an even chance of a light frost earlier in fall. These dates are not frost dates themselves; they simply indicate the median odds.

In a cautious plan, tender crops should be set out after the April 7 date, which carries only a 10 % chance of a light frost later, and should be finished by October 29, which carries only a 10 % chance of a light frost earlier. Planting on March 3 or persisting until November 30 involves a 90 % chance of a light frost and is therefore a gamble. A hard frost matters more than a light frost because the 28 °F threshold can damage plants that survive a 32 °F event.

How to read the probabilities

The dates are probabilities from 30 years of weather, not a forecast for this year.

  • Spring: "10% after April 7" means that in about one spring out of ten a frost still happens after that date. The 90% date is the earliest: a frost after it happens in most years.
  • Fall: "10% before October 29" means that in about one fall out of ten the first frost arrives before that date.
  • 50% is the typical date: half of the years are earlier, half are later.
  • A light frost (32°F) damages tender plants; a hard frost (28°F) also stops most hardy vegetables.

Nearby weather stations

Map of weather stations near Chapin, SCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Columbia, SC — 24 mi; 2 — Saluda, SC — 25 mi; 3 — Columbia University of SC, SC — 27 mi; 4 — Santuck, SC — 31 mi; 5 — Chester, SC — 36 mi.GANC25 mi · 40 km1. Columbia, SC — 24 mi12. Saluda, SC — 25 mi23. Columbia University of SC, SC — 27 mi34. Santuck, SC — 31 mi45. Chester, SC — 36 mi5
  1. Columbia, SC 24 mi (39 km)
  2. Saluda, SC 25 mi (40 km)
  3. Columbia University of SC, SC 27 mi (43 km)
  4. Santuck, SC 31 mi (49 km)
  5. Chester, SC 36 mi (58 km)

Sources

* Hardiness zone 8a: zone derived from PRISM 2023 grid at the station location (not the official USDA map). Source data: PRISM Group, Oregon State University.

Station coordinates: 34.1994, -81.4144.