Chester, SC 29706 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Chester, SC, ZIP 29706
Around 04/03 is the usual last spring frost, about 218 days away. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/02, about 213 frost-free days later.
Zone 8a (10 to 15°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 Chester, not a forecast for this year.
What to do before the first frost
Zone 8a around Chester has about 9 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 04/03 isn't a guarantee
04/03 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 03/17 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/19 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Chester compares
Chester's growing season runs about 213 days, ranking 14,489 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within SC, it ranks 462 of 519.
Learn more
the frost range explains how to read the range around Chester's dates instead of trusting one, and local microclimates explains what one yard in Chester can differ from the 29706 normal.