U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00381633 · South Carolina

Frost Dates for Chester, SC

NOAA weather station Chester 1 SE (USC00381633), South Carolina · elevation 560 ft (171 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 19only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 350% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season213 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Chester, SCSpring: a frost after March 17 in 9 years out of 10, after April 3 in half of the years, after April 19 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 20 in 1 year out of 10, before November 2 in half of the years, before November 18 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 213 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 3First frost ~Nov 2Frost season at Chester, SCSpring: a frost after March 17 in 9 years out of 10, after April 3 in half of the years, after April 19 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 20 in 1 year out of 10, before November 2 in half of the years, before November 18 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 213 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 3First frost ~Nov 2
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 29 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 19October 20
50% (typical)April 3November 2
90% (likely)March 17November 18
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
213 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 20
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 13

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 31 (3 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 5 (3 days later). Frost-free season 220 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 at Chester: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 19, 20% April 14, 30% April 9, 40% April 6, 50% April 3, 60% April 1, 70% March 28, 80% March 23, 90% March 17. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 10, 2023 March 22, 2024 March 20, 2025 March 19, 2026 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 19Apr 3Mar 172021: April 232022: April 102023: March 222024: March 202025: March 192026: March 29Fall at Chester: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 20, 20% October 26, 30% October 29, 40% November 1, 50% November 2, 60% November 5, 70% November 8, 80% November 11, 90% November 18. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 15, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 2, 2024 November 22, 2025 November 11.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Oct 20Nov 2Nov 182021: November 152022: October 192023: 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 23November 15
2022April 10October 19
2023March 22November 2
2024March 20November 22
2025March 19November 11
2026March 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

October 20 marks the cautious fall date in Chester for finishing the harvest of tender crops, with only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived earlier.

The 50 % date of April 3 in spring and November 2 in fall are the median points where a light frost is equally likely to occur before or after; a gardener can treat these as the midpoint of frost risk. On each 50 % date the likelihood of a light frost is exactly 50 %, so the risk is balanced at that point.

For a cautious plan in spring, the light-frost date of April 19 is used, because it carries only a 10 % chance of a frost later. The hard-frost 28 °F dates—March 20 in spring and November 13 in fall—signal conditions that can damage plants more severely than a 32 °F light frost.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 19" 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 20" 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 Chester, SCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Santuck, SC — 19 mi; 2 — near Rock Hill, SC — 20 mi; 3 — near Gaffney, SC — 29 mi; 4 — near Chapin, SC — 36 mi; 5 — near Charlotte, NC — 40 mi.SC25 mi · 40 km1. Santuck, SC — 19 mi12. near Rock Hill, SC — 20 mi23. near Gaffney, SC — 29 mi34. near Chapin, SC — 36 mi45. near Charlotte, NC — 40 mi5
  1. Santuck, SC 19 mi (30 km)
  2. near Rock Hill, SC 20 mi (32 km)
  3. near Gaffney, SC 29 mi (47 km)
  4. near Chapin, SC 36 mi (58 km)
  5. near Charlotte, NC 40 mi (64 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: 34.6844, -81.1956.