Frost dates · USDA zone 9a
Frost dates for North Charleston, SC
North Charleston, SC sees its last 32 °F night of spring around March 7 and its first of fall around November 27 — a 266-day freeze-free season in a typical year.
Pick a sauce; the Plan Builder runs this station's dates and hands back the calendar, plant count and gear list.
Freeze odds, by date
| Odds | Last spring freeze after | First fall freeze before |
|---|---|---|
| 9 years in 10 | Feb 12 | Dec 21 |
| Median — 1 year in 2 | Mar 7 | Nov 27 |
| 1 year in 10 | Mar 27 | Nov 8 |
The top row is the risky edge: in 9 years of 10 a spring freeze still comes after it, so tender transplants set out then need cover. The bottom row is the cautious date — only 1 year in 10 freezes after it — and the one to plan uncovered tender transplants against. Freeze-free season: 266 days median, at least 238 in 9 years of 10, at least 298 days in 1 year of 10. NOAA ranks season length year by year, so it is not the gap between two rows above. A hard freeze (28 °F) has a median last date of Feb 20 and first of Dec 15.
North Charleston planting calendar, 2027
Every row runs from the median last frost (Mar 7) and median first frost (Nov 27) above, using each cultivar's days to maturity. Same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Crop | Start indoors | Transplant / plant | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hardneck GarlicSiberian (porcelain hardneck) | — | Oct 15prior fall | Jun 12 | 240 from sow |
| Spanish OnionYellow Sweet Spanish (long-day) | Dec 13 | Feb 7 | May 28 | 110 from transplant |
| Mustard greensGarnet Giant (Brassica juncea) | Direct sow | Mar 7 | Apr 6 | 30 from sow |
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Feb 21 | Feb 21 | Apr 7 | 45 from sow |
| Genovese BasilGenovese | Feb 7 | Mar 21 | May 20 | 60 from transplant |
| CayenneLong Slim Cayenne (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 10 | Mar 14 | May 28 | 75 from transplant |
| HabaneroOrange Habanero (Capsicum chinense) | Dec 27 | Mar 21 | Jun 24 | 95 from transplant |
| JalapeñoEarly Jalapeño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 10 | Mar 14 | May 28 | 75 from transplant |
| Marconi Red PepperMarconi Red (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 10 | Mar 14 | Jun 2 | 80 from transplant |
| SerranoSerrano Tampiqueño (Capsicum annuum) | Jan 10 | Mar 14 | Jun 2 | 80 from transplant |
| Nantes CarrotScarlet Nantes | Feb 21 | Feb 21 | May 2 | 70 from sow |
| TomatilloToma Verde | Jan 24 | Mar 14 | May 23 | 70 from transplant |
| Roma TomatoRoma VF (determinate paste) | Jan 24 | Mar 14 | May 28 | 75 from transplant |
| San Marzano TomatoSan Marzano (indeterminate paste) | Jan 24 | Mar 14 | Jun 2 | 80 from transplant |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost: start that crop indoors on time or cover it in fall.
What sauce can North Charleston grow?
Each sauce, scheduled for a North Charleston container garden: when the first seeds go in and when enough fruit has ripened for one batch.
North Charleston frost questions
When is the last frost in North Charleston, SC?
The median last 32 °F freeze at CHARLESTON INTL AP, SC is March 7: half of years see a later one. One year in ten, a freeze still comes after March 27; nine years in ten, it comes after February 12. Source: NOAA NCEI 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals.
When is the first frost in North Charleston, SC?
The median first 32 °F freeze of fall is November 27. One year in ten it arrives before November 8; nine years in ten, before December 21.
How long is the growing season in North Charleston, SC?
266 days between the last spring and first fall 32 °F freeze in a median year. Nine years in ten the season runs at least 238 days; one year in ten, at least 298 days.
What growing zone is North Charleston, SC?
USDA hardiness zone 9a, per the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map for ZIP 29404. A zone describes the coldest winter night, not when frost ends, so it is the wrong number for a planting calendar — the frost dates on this page are the right one.
When should I plant tomatoes in North Charleston, SC?
Start Roma VF (determinate paste) seeds indoors around Jan 24 and transplant around Mar 14, 1 week after the median last frost. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, wait for Mar 27. First ripe fruit lands around May 28.
When should I plant peppers in North Charleston, SC?
Sow jalapeño indoors on a heat mat around Jan 10; transplant no earlier than Mar 14, and wait past it until nights hold above 50 °F — that can run weeks later. First green pods around May 28.
Nearby in South Carolina
- Goose Creeklast frost Mar 7
- Charlestonlast frost Mar 7
- Summervillelast frost Mar 22
- Mount Pleasantlast frost Mar 13
- Sumterlast frost Mar 21
- Florencelast frost Mar 19
All South Carolina frost dates → · How frost-date math drives a sowing calendar →