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Columbia, South Carolina frost dates

Average last spring frost: March 25. Average first fall frost: November 7. That gives a growing season of about 229 days. For frost-tender plants, a safer planting date is April 10, after which a freeze happens in only 1 year in 10.
Last frost (50%)
Mar 25
1-in-10 risk after Apr 10
First frost (50%)
Nov 7
1-in-10 risk before Oct 26
Growing season
229 days
median frost-free days
Hard freeze (28°F)
Mar 10
median last 28°F in spring

Frost risk by date

Chance of frostSpring: frost afterFall: frost before
90%March 4November 24
70%March 17November 14
50%March 25November 7
30%April 1November 1
10%April 10October 26

Read the spring column like this: there is a 10% chance of a 32°F freeze after April 10. These are NOAA probabilities for the Columbia weather station (USW00013883, elevation 70 m), 1991–2020.

Columbia vegetable planting calendar

Dates count from the 50% last-frost date (March 25). For tomatoes, peppers and other frost-tender crops, waiting until the 10% date (Apr 10) is the cautious choice.

CropStart seeds indoorsPlant out
BeansMar 4Apr 1 (usually sown directly in the garden)
BroccoliJan 14Feb 25
Brussels sproutsJan 14Feb 25
CabbageJan 7Feb 18
CauliflowerJan 28Mar 11
Sweet cornFeb 25Mar 25 (usually sown directly in the garden)
CucumbersMar 11Apr 1
KaleJan 7Feb 18
LeeksDec 10Feb 18
LettuceFeb 4Mar 11
MelonsMar 18Apr 8
OnionsDec 3Feb 11 (from seed; sets and transplants go out at the same time)
PeasJan 28Feb 25 (usually sown directly in the garden)
PeppersFeb 11Apr 8
SquashMar 18Apr 8
TomatoesJan 28Mar 25

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 7. There's a 1-in-10 chance it comes before October 26. 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 November 22.

Nearby cities

CityLast frost (50%)First frost (50%)Distance
Charlotte, NCMar 30Nov 3~142 km
Charleston, SCMar 7Nov 27~153 km
Savannah, GAMar 2Nov 30~202 km
Asheville, NCApr 9Oct 28~210 km
Greensboro, NCMar 30Nov 5~262 km
Wilmington, NCMar 19Nov 20~298 km

More: all South Carolina frost dates