James Island, SC 29401 Frost Dates
Frost dates for James Island, SC, ZIP 29401
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 02/04, roughly 160 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/30, about 321 frost-free days later.
James Island sits in USDA Zone 9a (20 to 25°F average annual minimum). The dates above are NOAA's 1991-2020 normal at the nearest reporting station, a 30-year average, not a forecast.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 9a around James Island has about 18 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.
How much risk comes with planting early here
02/04 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 01/05 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 03/04 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How James Island compares
James Island's growing season runs about 321 days, ranking 3,298 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within SC, it ranks 3 of 519.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in James Island can differ from the 29401 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 9a and James Island's frost date answer different questions.