U.S. Frost Dates by Weather Station

NOAA station USC00388887 · South Carolina

Frost Dates for Walhalla, SC

NOAA weather station Walhalla (USC00388887), South Carolina · elevation 980 ft (299 m) · hardiness zone 8a*

  • Lower-risk planting dateafter April 25only 1 spring in 10 still has a frost later
  • Typical last frostApril 1150% chance of a frost after it
  • Typical first fall frostOctober 3050% chance of a frost before it
  • Frost-free season203 daystypical year, 32°F
  • Hardiness zone8acalculated*

The year at a glance

Frost season at Walhalla, SCSpring: a frost after March 23 in 9 years out of 10, after April 11 in half of the years, after April 25 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 17 in 1 year out of 10, before October 30 in half of the years, before November 11 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 203 days.JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLast frost ~Apr 11First frost ~Oct 30Frost season at Walhalla, SCSpring: a frost after March 23 in 9 years out of 10, after April 11 in half of the years, after April 25 in 1 year out of 10. Fall: the first frost comes before October 17 in 1 year out of 10, before October 30 in half of the years, before November 11 in 9 years out of 10. Typical frost-free season: 203 days.JFMAMJJASONDLast frost ~Apr 11First frost ~Oct 30
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 25October 17
50% (typical)April 11October 30
90% (likely)March 23November 11
Frost-free season (32°F, 50% chance)
203 days
Hard frost (28°F), last in spring, 50% chance after
March 30
Hard frost (28°F), first in fall, 50% chance before
November 9

The last 15 years (2006–2020 normals)

Typical last frost April 7 (4 days earlier than the 30-year normal), typical first fall frost November 1 (2 days later). Frost-free season 208 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 Walhalla: chance of a frost after this dateSpring, chance of a frost after the date: 10% April 25, 20% April 21, 30% April 17, 40% April 14, 50% April 11, 60% April 7, 70% April 4, 80% March 31, 90% March 23. Observed last spring frost in recent years: 2021 April 23, 2022 April 11, 2023 March 22, 2024 April 7, 2025 April 14, 2026 March 30.Spring: last frostChance of a frost after this date10%50%90%Apr 1May 1Apr 25Apr 11Mar 232021: April 232022: April 112023: March 222024: April 72025: April 142026: March 30Fall at Walhalla: chance of a frost before this dateFall, chance of a frost before the date: 10% October 17, 20% October 22, 30% October 25, 40% October 27, 50% October 30, 60% November 1, 70% November 3, 80% November 6, 90% November 11. Observed first fall frost in recent years: 2021 November 7, 2022 October 19, 2023 November 1, 2024 November 21, 2025 November 10.Fall: first frostChance of a frost before this date10%50%90%Nov 1Oct 17Oct 30Nov 112021: November 72022: October 192023: November 12024: November 212025: November 10
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 7
2022April 11October 19
2023March 22November 1
2024April 7November 21
2025April 14November 10
2026March 30season not over yet

What these dates mean

April 25 is the cautious spring date for Walhalla, with only a 10% chance of a light frost after that day, and it lets a gardener plan to set out tender crops. The 50% date, April 11, marks the point at which a frost is equally likely to occur or not, while March 23 carries a 90% chance of a frost later and is a gamble for early planting.

In the fall the cautious date is October 17, when there is only a 10% chance a light frost has arrived, providing a deadline for finishing harvest of tender crops. The 50% date, October 30, signals an even odds of a frost earlier or later, and November 11 carries a 90% chance of a frost earlier, making late planting risky. Hard-frost dates—March 30 in spring and November 9 in fall—are noted because temperatures of 28 °F can damage plants more severely than the 32 °F light frosts.

How to read the probabilities

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

  • Spring: "10% after April 25" 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 Walhalla, SCNumbered nearest stations: 1 — Clemson, SC — 16 mi; 2 — Highlands, NC — 22 mi; 3 — Anderson County Airport, SC — 27 mi; 4 — Anderson, SC — 28 mi; 5 — Cornelia, GA — 31 mi.SCNCTN25 mi · 40 km1. Clemson, SC — 16 mi12. Highlands, NC — 22 mi23. Anderson County Airport, SC — 27 mi34. Anderson, SC — 28 mi45. Cornelia, GA — 31 mi5
  1. Clemson, SC 16 mi (25 km)
  2. Highlands, NC 22 mi (35 km)
  3. Anderson County Airport, SC 27 mi (44 km)
  4. Anderson, SC 28 mi (45 km)
  5. Cornelia, GA 31 mi (49 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: 34.7544, -83.075.