Elko, SC 29826 Frost Dates
Frost dates for Elko, SC, ZIP 29826
Typically, the last spring freeze lands around 03/20, roughly 204 days out. The first fall frost typically arrives around 11/13, about 238 frost-free days later.
The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map puts Elko in Zone 8b (15 to 20°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 8b around Elko 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 03/20 isn't a guarantee
03/20 is the middle of 30 years of NOAA records, not a promise. Plant by 02/27 and you're betting against frost in roughly 9 years out of 10. 04/08 is the safer bet, historically only a 1-in-10 chance of frost that late.
How Elko compares
Elko's growing season runs about 238 days, ranking 9,058 of 40,283 US ZIP codes measured here, longest to shortest. Within SC, it ranks 241 of 519.
Learn more
zone vs. frost date explains why Zone 8b and Elko's frost date answer different questions, and the frost range explains how to read the range around Elko's dates instead of trusting one.