U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00380448 · South Carolina

Frost Dates for Bamberg, SC

NOAA weather station Bamberg (USC00380448), South Carolina · elevation 156 ft (48 m) · hardiness zone 8b*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 4only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostMarch 1850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 1250% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season240 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8bcalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Bamberg, SCSpring: a frost after February 26 in 9 years out of 10, after March 18 in half of the years, after April 4 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 1 in 1 year out of 10, before November 12 in half of the years, before December 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 240 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Mar 18First frost ~Nov 12Frost season at Bamberg, SCSpring: a frost after February 26 in 9 years out of 10, after March 18 in half of the years, after April 4 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before November 1 in 1 year out of 10, before November 12 in half of the years, before December 2 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 240 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Mar 18First frost ~Nov 12
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 26 years of NOAA records (1991–2020 normals)
ChanceLast frost in spring afterFirst frost in fall before
10% (unlikely)April 4November 1
50% (typical)March 18November 12
90% (likely)February 26December 2
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
240 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 3
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 26

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost March 15 (3 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 12. Frost-free season 241 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 Bamberg: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 4, 20% March 30, 30% March 26, 40% March 22, 50% March 18, 60% March 15, 70% March 11, 80% March 5, 90% February 26. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 4, 2022 April 11, 2023 March 21, 2025 March 7, 2026 March 18.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Mar 1Apr 1Apr 4Mar 18Feb 262021: April 42022: April 112023: March 212025: March 72026: March 18Fall at Bamberg: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% November 1, 20% November 3, 30% November 6, 40% November 9, 50% November 12, 60% November 15, 70% November 19, 80% November 25, 90% December 2. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 17, 2022 November 18, 2023 November 29, 2024 November 30, 2025 November 12.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Dec 1Nov 1Nov 12Dec 22021: November 172022: November 182023: November 292024: November 302025: November 12
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 4November 17
2022April 11November 18
2023March 21November 29
2024incomplete recordNovember 30
2025March 7November 12
2026March 18season not over yet

What these dates mean

The cautious fall date in Bamberg for finishing the harvest is November 1, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived. In the spring the cautious date for setting out tender crops is April 4, which carries a 10 % chance of a light frost occurring later.

The 50 % light-frost dates are March 18 in spring and November 12 in fall; at each of these dates a gardener faces an even chance of a frost occurring later (spring) or earlier (fall). The median hard-frost dates are March 3 and November 26; they mark the points where a 50 % chance of a temperature of 28 °F or lower is reached. A hard frost at 28 °F can damage or kill tender plants more severely than a light frost at 32 °F.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 4" 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 November 1" 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 Bamberg, SCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Yemassee, SC — 42 mi; 2 — Columbia, SC — 46 mi; 3 — Columbia University of SC, SC — 48 mi; 4 — near Augusta, GA — 54 mi; 5 — Manning, SC — 56 mi.SCGA25 mi · 40 km1. Yemassee, SC — 42 mi12. Columbia, SC — 46 mi23. Columbia University of SC, SC — 48 mi34. near Augusta, GA — 54 mi45. Manning, SC — 56 mi5
  1. Yemassee, SC 42 mi (68 km)
  2. Columbia, SC 46 mi (74 km)
  3. Columbia University of SC, SC 48 mi (78 km)
  4. near Augusta, GA 54 mi (87 km)
  5. Manning, SC 56 mi (90 km)

Sources

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

Station coordinates: 33.2911, -81.0328.