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Charleston, South Carolina frost dates

Average last spring frost: March 7. Average first fall frost: November 27. That gives a growing season of about 266 days. For frost-tender plants, a safer planting date is March 27, after which a freeze happens in only 1 year in 10.
Last frost (50%)
Mar 7
1-in-10 risk after Mar 27
First frost (50%)
Nov 27
1-in-10 risk before Nov 8
Growing season
266 days
median frost-free days
Hard freeze (28°F)
Feb 20
median last 28°F in spring

Frost risk by date

Chance of frostSpring: frost afterFall: frost before
90%February 12December 21
70%February 27December 4
50%March 7November 27
30%March 15November 19
10%March 27November 8

Read the spring column like this: there is a 10% chance of a 32°F freeze after March 27. These are NOAA probabilities for the Charleston International Airport weather station (USW00013880, elevation 12 m), 1991–2020.

Charleston vegetable planting calendar

Dates count from the 50% last-frost date (March 7). For tomatoes, peppers and other frost-tender crops, waiting until the 10% date (Mar 27) is the cautious choice.

CropStart seeds indoorsPlant out
BeansFeb 14Mar 14 (usually sown directly in the garden)
BroccoliDec 27Feb 7
Brussels sproutsDec 27Feb 7
CabbageDec 20Jan 31
CauliflowerJan 10Feb 21
Sweet cornFeb 7Mar 7 (usually sown directly in the garden)
CucumbersFeb 21Mar 14
KaleDec 20Jan 31
LeeksNov 22Jan 31
LettuceJan 17Feb 21
MelonsFeb 28Mar 21
OnionsNov 15Jan 24 (from seed; sets and transplants go out at the same time)
PeasJan 10Feb 7 (usually sown directly in the garden)
PeppersJan 24Mar 21
SquashFeb 28Mar 21
TomatoesJan 10Mar 7

Offsets from Oregon State University Extension's seed-starting table. "Plant out" means transplant, or sow directly for crops usually grown from seed.

Fall frost and season extension

The first fall freeze usually arrives around November 27. There's a 1-in-10 chance it comes before November 8. Harvest tender crops such as basil, tomatoes, peppers and squash before then, or cover them on cold nights. Cool-season crops like kale, cabbage and Brussels sprouts handle light frost, and often taste sweeter after it. A hard freeze (28°F) typically comes around December 15.

Nearby cities

CityLast frost (50%)First frost (50%)Distance
Savannah, GAMar 2Nov 30~138 km
Columbia, SCMar 25Nov 7~154 km
Wilmington, NCMar 19Nov 20~251 km
Charlotte, NCMar 30Nov 3~272 km
Jacksonville, FLFeb 25Dec 7~310 km
Raleigh, NCMar 31Nov 4~352 km

More: all South Carolina frost dates