When will SC get its first frost this year? Find forecast dates by city and town here
For those yearning for bulky sweaters and fashionable parkas, the first frost is on its way across South Carolina.
Some cities may even have frost as early as this week, according to data compiled by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration outdoor magazine Almanac.
They have a handy online tool to look up their predictions by zip code.
Here’s a sampling of what they say about the first frost in South Carolina cities.
SC predicted frost dates
- Columbia Nov. 9
- Lexington Nov. 1
- Irmo Oct. 23
- Chapin Nov. 5
- Greenville Nov. 2
- Myrtle Beach Nov. 7
- Conway Nov. 14
- Dillon Nov. 2
- Aiken Nov. 7
- Spartanburg Oct. 26
- Florence Nov. 8
- Hilton Head Dec. 1
- Clemson Oct. 29
- Rock Hill Oct. 31
- Newberry Nov. 11
- Travelers Rest Nov. 2
Almanac bases frost dates on 1991–2020 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data and has a 30% probability rate. That means a 3 in 10 chance frost will occur before or after the given date.
What’s the difference between a frost and a freeze?
Frost
- Surfaces cool to 32°F (0°C) or below, even if the air temperature nearby is slightly above freezing
- Visible as ice crystals or a frost coating on surfaces
- Typically affects only the exterior surface of plants causing limited damage
- Can occur when air temperatures are in the mid to upper 30s °F
Freeze
- Air temperature falls to 32°F (0°C) or below over several feet or more above the ground
- Prolonged cold conditions where the interior tissues of plants also freeze
- A “hard freeze” refers to temperatures dropping to 28°F (-2°C) or lower
- Plants sustain internal damage where water inside cells freezes
This story was originally published October 21, 2025 at 6:00 AM.