U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00388188 · South Carolina

Frost Dates for Spartanburg, SC

NOAA weather station Spartanburg 3 SSE (USC00388188), South Carolina · elevation 610 ft (186 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 23only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 850% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostNovember 150% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season206 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Spartanburg, SCSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 8 in half of the years, after April 23 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 17 in 1 year out of 10, before November 1 in half of the years, before November 14 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 206 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 8First frost ~Nov 1Frost season at Spartanburg, SCSpring: a frost after March 20 in 9 years out of 10, after April 8 in half of the years, after April 23 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 17 in 1 year out of 10, before November 1 in half of the years, before November 14 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 206 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 8First frost ~Nov 1
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 23October 17
50% (typical)April 8November 1
90% (likely)March 20November 14
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
206 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 24
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 11

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 9 (1 day later than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 1. Frost-free season 206 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 Spartanburg: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 23, 20% April 18, 30% April 14, 40% April 11, 50% April 8, 60% April 4, 70% April 1, 80% March 28, 90% March 20. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 10, 2023 April 10, 2024 April 6, 2025 April 13, 2026 March 29.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 23Apr 8Mar 202021: April 232022: April 102023: April 102024: April 62025: April 132026: March 29Fall at Spartanburg: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 17, 20% October 23, 30% October 26, 40% October 29, 50% November 1, 60% November 3, 70% November 5, 80% November 8, 90% November 14. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 5, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 1, 2024 October 17, 2025 November 1.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 17Nov 1Nov 142021: November 52022: October 192023: November 12024: October 172025: November 1
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 5
2022April 10October 19
2023April 10November 1
2024April 6October 17
2025April 13November 1
2026March 29season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 23 is the cautious spring light-frost date for Spartanburg, with only a 10 % chance of a frost later. Planting tender seedlings after this point gives a gardener a high degree of confidence that a light frost will not interrupt growth.

The 50 % dates are April 8 in spring and November 1 in fall; each marks the point at which a light frost is equally likely to have occurred or not. The 50 % hard-frost dates are March 24 and November 11, indicating even odds for a 28 °F frost. These dates help a gardener gauge the middle of the frost risk window.

The cautious fall date is October 17, when there is only a 10 % chance that a light frost has arrived, allowing the final harvest of tender crops. A hard frost at 28 °F can cause damage that a 32 °F light frost does not, making it the more critical temperature threshold.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 23" 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 17" 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 Spartanburg, SCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Greer, SC — 17 mi; 2 — near Gaffney, SC — 25 mi; 3 — Tryon, NC — 28 mi; 4 — Laurens, SC — 29 mi; 5 — Santuck, SC — 29 mi.SCNCGA25 mi · 40 km1. Greer, SC — 17 mi12. near Gaffney, SC — 25 mi23. Tryon, NC — 28 mi34. Laurens, SC — 29 mi45. Santuck, SC — 29 mi5
  1. Greer, SC 17 mi (28 km)
  2. near Gaffney, SC 25 mi (41 km)
  3. Tryon, NC 28 mi (45 km)
  4. Laurens, SC 29 mi (47 km)
  5. Santuck, SC 29 mi (47 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: 34.9078, -81.9139.