Frost dates in North Carolina
Across North Carolina, the typical last spring frost is around Mar 31 and the first fall frost around Nov 4. Your own dates depend on where you are in the state; find your county below.
Most of the state's last spring frosts fall between Mar 22 and Apr 19, and its first fall frosts between Oct 23 and Nov 15.
These are the dates with a 50% chance of a 32°F frost on or after (spring) or on or before (fall), so plan tender crops a week or two after the spring date and keep row cover handy. For dates at your exact ZIP code, use the zone and frost date lookup; for what to plant when, see the planting guide by frost date.
Hardiness zones in North Carolina: zone 6b, zone 7a, zone 7b, zone 8a, zone 8b, zone 9a
Frost dates by county in North Carolina
| County | Last spring frost | First fall frost | Growing season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance | Apr 4 | Nov 3 | About 213 days |
| Alexander | Apr 2 | Nov 4 | About 216 days |
| Alleghany | Apr 22 | Oct 22 | About 183 days |
| Anson | Mar 24 | Nov 9 | About 230 days |
| Ashe | May 7 | Oct 8 | About 154 days |
| Avery | May 5 | Oct 14 | About 162 days |
| Beaufort | Mar 22 | Dec 5 | About 258 days |
| Bertie | Mar 29 | Nov 7 | About 223 days |
| Bladen | Mar 29 | Nov 8 | About 224 days |
| Brunswick | Mar 24 | Nov 17 | About 238 days |
| Buncombe | Apr 19 | Oct 23 | About 187 days |
| Burke | Apr 7 | Oct 28 | About 204 days |
| Cabarrus | Apr 1 | Nov 2 | About 215 days |
| Caldwell | Apr 7 | Oct 31 | About 207 days |
| Camden | Mar 28 | Nov 12 | About 229 days |
| Carteret | Mar 11 | Nov 30 | About 264 days |
| Caswell | Apr 8 | Nov 1 | About 207 days |
| Catawba | Mar 24 | Nov 8 | About 229 days |
| Chatham | Mar 31 | Nov 4 | About 218 days |
| Cherokee | Apr 17 | Oct 23 | About 189 days |
| Chowan | Mar 24 | Nov 14 | About 235 days |
| Clay | Apr 22 | Oct 20 | About 181 days |
| Cleveland | Apr 12 | Oct 25 | About 196 days |
| Columbus | Mar 29 | Nov 6 | About 222 days |
| Craven | Mar 21 | Nov 17 | About 241 days |
| Cumberland | Mar 30 | Nov 10 | About 225 days |
| Currituck | Mar 27 | Nov 17 | About 235 days |
| Dare | Mar 15 | Dec 6 | About 266 days |
| Davidson | Apr 11 | Oct 30 | About 202 days |
| Davie | Apr 15 | Oct 25 | About 193 days |
| Duplin | Apr 1 | Nov 7 | About 220 days |
| Durham | Apr 2 | Nov 4 | About 216 days |
| Edgecombe | Mar 31 | Nov 7 | About 221 days |
| Forsyth | Apr 6 | Nov 5 | About 213 days |
| Franklin | Apr 11 | Oct 29 | About 201 days |
| Gaston | Mar 27 | Nov 9 | About 227 days |
| Gates | Apr 7 | Nov 1 | About 208 days |
| Graham | Apr 13 | Oct 26 | About 196 days |
| Granville | Mar 31 | Nov 6 | About 220 days |
| Greene | Mar 26 | Nov 12 | About 231 days |
| Guilford | Apr 1 | Nov 4 | About 217 days |
| Halifax | Mar 29 | Nov 9 | About 225 days |
| Harnett | Mar 30 | Nov 6 | About 221 days |
| Haywood | Apr 30 | Oct 14 | About 167 days |
| Henderson | Apr 14 | Oct 25 | About 194 days |
| Hertford | Apr 6 | Nov 1 | About 209 days |
| Hoke | Apr 3 | Nov 8 | About 219 days |
| Hyde | Mar 25 | Nov 13 | About 233 days |
| Iredell | Apr 16 | Oct 25 | About 192 days |
| Jackson | Apr 19 | Oct 22 | About 186 days |
| Johnston | Mar 29 | Nov 5 | About 221 days |
| Jones | Apr 5 | Nov 20 | About 229 days |
| Lee | Apr 10 | Oct 30 | About 203 days |
| Lenoir | Apr 1 | Nov 4 | About 217 days |
| Lincoln | Apr 9 | Oct 28 | About 202 days |
| Macon | Apr 23 | Oct 17 | About 177 days |
| Madison | Apr 28 | Oct 18 | About 173 days |
| Martin | Mar 20 | Nov 12 | About 237 days |
| McDowell | Apr 21 | Nov 1 | About 194 days |
| Mecklenburg | Mar 30 | Nov 3 | About 218 days |
| Mitchell | Apr 30 | Oct 20 | About 173 days |
| Montgomery | Mar 29 | Nov 4 | About 220 days |
| Moore | Apr 1 | Nov 5 | About 218 days |
| Nash | Apr 1 | Nov 5 | About 218 days |
| New Hanover | Mar 20 | Nov 17 | About 242 days |
| Northampton | Apr 5 | Nov 1 | About 210 days |
| Onslow | Mar 26 | Nov 13 | About 232 days |
| Orange | Mar 31 | Nov 3 | About 217 days |
| Pamlico | Mar 30 | Nov 8 | About 223 days |
| Pasquotank | Mar 27 | Nov 17 | About 235 days |
| Pender | Mar 29 | Nov 8 | About 224 days |
| Perquimans | Mar 27 | Nov 14 | About 232 days |
| Person | Apr 15 | Oct 26 | About 194 days |
| Pitt | Mar 27 | Nov 8 | About 226 days |
| Polk | Apr 5 | Nov 12 | About 221 days |
| Randolph | Mar 31 | Nov 5 | About 219 days |
| Richmond | Mar 30 | Nov 14 | About 229 days |
| Robeson | Mar 25 | Nov 8 | About 228 days |
| Rockingham | Apr 11 | Oct 30 | About 202 days |
| Rowan | Apr 6 | Oct 30 | About 207 days |
| Rutherford | Apr 11 | Oct 27 | About 199 days |
| Sampson | Mar 26 | Nov 7 | About 226 days |
| Scotland | Mar 30 | Nov 4 | About 219 days |
| Stanly | Mar 29 | Nov 4 | About 220 days |
| Stokes | Apr 11 | Oct 30 | About 202 days |
| Surry | Apr 19 | Oct 23 | About 187 days |
| Swain | Apr 16 | Oct 24 | About 191 days |
| Transylvania | Apr 19 | Oct 26 | About 190 days |
| Tyrrell | Mar 29 | Nov 13 | About 229 days |
| Union | Apr 3 | Nov 5 | About 216 days |
| Vance | Mar 28 | Nov 9 | About 226 days |
| Wake | Mar 31 | Nov 8 | About 222 days |
| Warren | Apr 3 | Nov 5 | About 216 days |
| Washington | Mar 31 | Nov 7 | About 221 days |
| Watauga | May 2 | Oct 14 | About 165 days |
| Wayne | Mar 28 | Nov 12 | About 229 days |
| Wilkes | Apr 15 | Oct 29 | About 197 days |
| Wilson | Mar 22 | Nov 12 | About 235 days |
| Yadkin | Apr 15 | Oct 26 | About 194 days |
| Yancey | Apr 24 | Oct 19 | About 178 days |
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020, 50% probability of 32°F, from the weather station nearest each ZIP code; each county shows the middle value across its ZIP codes. Hills, valleys and cities can run a week or more earlier or later.