Berkeley County climate

Berkeley County Frost Dates and Growing Season

NOAA 1991-2020 normals for Moncks Corner 4 N, 6 km from Berkeley County, elevation 49 ft

Frost and the growing season

NOAA's 1991-2020 freeze probabilities for Moncks Corner 4 N. A median date has an even chance of a later freeze in spring, or an earlier one in fall.

The last spring freeze typically comes around March 10 and the first fall freeze around November 26, a growing season of about 265 days.

Median at 36°F
last March 25, first November 13
Median at 32°F
last March 10, first November 26
Median at 28°F
last February 22, first December 13

Last freeze in spring

The chance of a later freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one spring in ten still freezes after the date; planting after the 10 percent date for 32°F is the cautious choice.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FApr 10Apr 4Apr 1Mar 29Mar 25Mar 20Mar 16Mar 10Mar 3
32°FMar 29Mar 23Mar 18Mar 14Mar 10Mar 5Mar 1Feb 25Feb 14
28°FMar 17Mar 10Mar 4Feb 28Feb 22Feb 15Feb 7Jan 31Jan 21
24°FMar 5Feb 26Feb 13Feb 3Jan 31Jan 25Jan 18Jan 9Dec 31
20°FFeb 19Feb 4Jan 30Jan 24Jan 19Jan 12Jan 7Jan 2Dec 24
16°FJan 31Jan 27Jan 22Jan 19Jan 14Jan 10Jan 7Jan 2Dec 22

First freeze in fall

The chance of an earlier freeze than the date shown. At 10 percent, one fall in ten freezes before the date.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 31Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 13Nov 16Nov 20Nov 25Dec 2
32°FNov 7Nov 12Nov 17Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 4Dec 10Dec 22
28°FNov 21Nov 28Dec 2Dec 7Dec 13Dec 19Dec 26Jan 2Jan 13
24°FDec 3Dec 11Dec 18Dec 25Jan 1Jan 5Jan 10Jan 17Jan 29
20°FDec 15Dec 23Dec 31Jan 4Jan 7Jan 13Jan 19Jan 26Feb 6
16°FDec 21Dec 31Jan 4Jan 7Jan 11Jan 16Jan 19Jan 25Jan 30

Growing season length

Days between the last spring and first fall freeze at each threshold, with the chance of a season at least that long.

Threshold10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°F261252246242236231225220212
32°F296285276270265259252246236
28°F330317308302296289280272261
24°F365357345337332323313304292
20°F365365365365364355345336323
16°F365365365365365365365365355

How often it gets that cold

The share of years with at least one night at or below each temperature.

36°F or colder
100% of years
32°F or colder
100% of years
28°F or colder
100% of years
24°F or colder
86% of years
20°F or colder
48% of years
16°F or colder
14% of years

Degree days

A degree day is one degree of the daily mean temperature beyond a base, for one day. Heating degree days count cold (the fuel a house burns), cooling degree days heat, growing degree days the warmth a crop needs; each crop has its own base.

Heating degree days, base 65°F
2,043
Cooling degree days, base 65°F
2,473
Growing degree days, base 40°F
9,612
Growing degree days, base 45°F
7,899
Growing degree days, base 50°F
6,302
Growing degree days, base 55°F
4,856
Growing degree days, base 60°F
3,577

Growing degree days by month, base 50°F

Heating and cooling by month

MonthHeating DDCooling DDGrowing DD 50
January5155103
February3957117
March26728260
April8697463
May12271724
June1454903
July05701,035
August0519984
September3354801
October65133534
November25628248
December4447130

What this means

NOAA computes these from the daily lows at the station over 1991-2020, fitting the dates of each year's last and first freeze to a distribution, so a date can be stated at any level of risk. 36°F is a frost risk for tender plants on a clear, calm night, since the ground cools below the air above it; 32°F is a freeze; 28°F is a hard freeze that kills most annuals.

The station is 6 km from Berkeley County. Low ground, valleys and open fields freeze earlier and later than a town center or a hillside.

More

Sources

NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991-2020, annual and seasonal normals for station USC00385946 (Moncks Corner 4 N). Public domain.