Frost dates in Columbia, South Carolina

NOAA 1991–2020 normals for a 32 °F freeze. Low spots and the edge of town run colder than downtown.

Short answer

The average last spring frost in Columbia is March 13, and the average first fall frost is November 19, from NOAA's Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport station, 7 miles from the middle of Columbia. 1 year in 10 the last frost comes after March 31, and the first one by November 5. That leaves about 251 frost-free days. Columbia is in USDA planting zone 8b.

Weather stations around Columbia

The first row is the date most people in Columbia go by. The others show how far the dates move across the area.

Station	Last spring frost	First fall frost	Frost-free
Columbia Owens Dwtn Airport 7 mi away, 212 ft	March 13 1 in 10 after March 31	November 19 1 in 10 by November 5	251 days
Sandhill Rsch - Elgin 7 mi away, 440 ft	March 22 1 in 10 after April 10	November 15 1 in 10 by November 1	238 days
Columbia Univ Of Sc 8 mi away, 223 ft	March 16 1 in 10 after April 3	November 16 1 in 10 by November 2	245 days
Columbia 14 mi away, 231 ft	March 25 1 in 10 after April 10	November 7 1 in 10 by October 26	227 days
Cedar Creek 2E 16 mi away, 338 ft	April 10 1 in 10 after April 23	October 28 1 in 10 by October 15	201 days

Distances are from the middle of Columbia as the Census Bureau maps it. The average date is NOAA's 50% date: half of years have a later last frost, or an earlier first one. Plan by the 1-in-10 date if a freeze would cost you plants. The planting zone is the USDA 2023 zone for ZIP code 29206, at the middle of the city.

Your exact ZIP code

Columbia covers a lot of ground. For the station nearest your own street, and its planting zone, type your ZIP code.

How these dates work

Frost dates come from NOAA's 1991 to 2020 Climate Normals, which work out from each weather station's daily lows how likely the last spring freeze and the first fall freeze (32 °F) are by each date. We use the station nearest the middle of your ZIP code and show its height and distance, since a station on a hill or by a lake can differ from your yard.

The average date is the 50% date: half of years have a freeze after the spring date or before the fall one. The 1-in-10 dates are NOAA's 10% dates, the ones to plan by if a late freeze would cost you plants. Within one yard, cold air pools in low spots while walls and paving hold heat, so some corners freeze before others.

More frost dates

All of South Carolina, station by station.

Other South Carolina cities: Charleston

Nearby: Charlotte, NC · Augusta, GA · Fayetteville, NC