Frost dates for North Charleston, SC
When the last spring frost and first fall frost usually come, and when to plant, from 30 years of NOAA weather records.
Last spring frost
March 7
typical year
Safe to plant
March 27
frost is over in 9 of 10 years
First fall frost
November 27
typical year
Growing season
266 days
frost-free, typical year
Frost watch this week
Tonight's and the next six nights' lows from the National Weather Service forecast for the station's location. Frost: 32°F or colder. Possible frost: 33–36°F, mostly in low spots on clear, still nights.
When to plant
Counted from this page's frost dates. Warm-season crops wait for the safe-to-plant date.
| Crop | Start indoors | Plant outside | Fall planting |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cool-season crops | |||
| Peas | – | Feb 7 – 21 | – |
| Spinach | – | Jan 24 – Feb 14 | Oct 2 – 16 |
| Lettuce | – | Feb 7 – 28 | Oct 2 – 16 |
| Radishes | – | Feb 7 – Mar 21 | Oct 16 – 30 |
| Onions | – | Feb 7 – 21 | – |
| Potatoes | – | Feb 14 – 28 | – |
| Carrots | – | Feb 14 – Mar 7 | Sep 4 – 18 |
| Beets | – | Feb 7 – 21 | Sep 18 – Oct 2 |
| Kale | Dec 27 – Jan 10 | Feb 7 – 21 | Sep 18 – Oct 2 |
| Broccoli | Dec 27 – Jan 10 | Feb 21 – Mar 7 | Sep 18 – Oct 2 |
| Cabbage | Dec 13 – 27 | Feb 7 – 21 | Sep 18 – Oct 2 |
| Garlic | – | – | Oct 16 – Nov 6 |
| Warm-season crops | |||
| Tomatoes | Jan 30 – Feb 13 | Mar 27 – Apr 10 | – |
| Peppers | Jan 23 – Feb 6 | Apr 3 – 17 | – |
| Cucumbers | – | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | – |
| Zucchini | – | Mar 27 – Apr 24 | – |
| Pumpkins | – | Mar 27 – Apr 17 | – |
| Green beans | – | Mar 27 – Sep 18 | – |
| Sweet corn | – | Mar 27 – Apr 24 | – |
| Basil | Feb 20 – Mar 6 | Apr 3 – 10 | – |
Onions: from sets. Green beans: until 10 weeks before the first fall frost. Garlic: harvest next summer.
The year at a glance
Start indoors Plant outside Fall planting
The chance of frost, by date
| 1 year in 10 | Half of years | 9 years in 10 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring frost after | March 27 | March 7 | February 12 |
| Fall frost before | November 8 | November 27 | December 21 |
Frost here means 32°F or colder. Read across: in 1 year in 10, spring frost carries on past the first date, which is why that date is the safe-to-plant date.
Hard freeze (28°F)
A hard freeze kills most garden plants, even hardy ones. The last one in spring usually comes around February 20 (March 14 in a late year), and the first one in fall around December 15.
Towns that use these dates
This is the nearest NOAA station with frost records for 4 towns.
North Charleston, Goose Creek, Hanahan, Ravenel
Where these dates come from
NOAA weather station CHARLESTON INTL AP, SC US (USW00013880), 1991–2020 climate normals. It's the nearest station for 11 zip codes, all within 11 miles:
29404, 29405, 29406, 29410, 29414, 29418, 29420, 29445, 29456, 29470, 29492
Planting dates follow common university extension advice; your local extension service can fine-tune them for your soil and microclimate.