Sumter, SC 29153 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Sumter, SC, ZIP 29153
Around 03/21 is the usual last spring frost, about 205 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/13, about 239 frost-free days later.
Zone 8b (15 to 20°F average annual minimum) comes from the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map; the frost dates above are the 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting NOAA station for Sumter, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 8b around Sumter has about 11 weeks left before the first fall frost — that's the usual window to get a cold frame up if you want to keep harvesting past it.
Why 03/21 isn't a guarantee
03/21 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/28 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/09 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Sumter compares
Sumter's growing season runs about 239 days, ranking 8,773 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within SC, it ranks 196 of 519.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in Sumter can differ from the 29153 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 8b and Sumter's frost date answer different questions.