James Island, SC 29412 Frost Dates
Frost dates for James Island, SC, ZIP 29412
The last spring frost here typically falls around 02/04, about 160 days from today. The first fall frost typically arrives around 12/30, about 321 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts James Island in Zone 9a (20 to 25°F average annual minimum); frost dates are NOAA's 1991-2020 station normal, not this year's 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
At roughly 321 frost-free days, James Island places 3,299 of 40,283 ZIP codes in this dataset. Within SC, it ranks 4 of 519.
Learn more
local microclimates explains what one yard in James Island can differ from the 29412 normal, and zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 9a and James Island's frost date answer different questions.