USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 27030 — Mount Airy, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Mt Airy 2 W, NC (1,080 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Mount Airy, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 19 in half of years and has passed by May 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 23, as early as October 11 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 186 days (NOAA, Mt Airy 2 W, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 19
- First fall frost
- October 23
- Growing season
- 186 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- January 3
- Last snow
- February 27
- Winters with snow
- 89%
- Snow per year
- 8.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
25 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mount Airy
Half of springs at Mt Airy 2 W, NC see their last 32°F night by April 19; only one in ten is past it by April 4, and one in ten still has one after May 8. Planting tender crops after April 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 8 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 23 in half of years, as early as October 11 one year in ten, and holds off past November 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 18, 20 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 186 days in a typical year, shorter than at 86% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 206 days one year in ten and falls short of 164 one year in ten. On average 111 nights a year drop to 32°F or below. Nights of 36°F, when frost can still settle on leaves in low, open spots, continue 13 days longer, to about May 2, and return around October 14. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 16 and February 15.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 12 | May 18 |
| 32°F | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 2 | May 8 |
| 28°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 20°F | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 26 |
| 32°F | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 |
| 28°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 14 |
| 24°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 12 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Mt Airy 2 W, NC, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 27030 →Compare Mount Airy with another place →
Weather by month in Mount Airy
July is the warmest month at Mt Airy 2 W, NC, averaging 86°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 47°F and 25°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,603 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 84% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 36% of them (1,289) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 769. Precipitation totals 50.4 inches a year, most in July (5.2") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | 25 | 4.0 | 100% | 24 | 6 |
| Feb | 51 | 27 | 3.1 | 100% | 21 | 8 |
| Mar | 58 | 33 | 4.2 | 100% | 16 | 53 |
| Apr | 69 | 41 | 4.3 | 92% | 5 | 180 |
| May | 76 | 50 | 4.5 | 23% | 1 | 412 |
| Jun | 83 | 59 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 630 |
| Jul | 86 | 63 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 769 |
| Aug | 85 | 62 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Sep | 79 | 56 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 525 |
| Oct | 70 | 43 | 3.5 | 80% | 4 | 228 |
| Nov | 59 | 33 | 3.4 | 100% | 17 | 52 |
| Dec | 50 | 28 | 4.2 | 100% | 23 | 10 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Mt Airy 2 W, NC (1,080 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Meadows Of Dan 5 SW, VA, 15 miles northeast of Mount Airy and 1,145 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days later (April 21), a first frost 2 days later (October 25), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Mount Airy, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mount Airy usually arrives around January 3, and the last of the season around February 27. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Mt Airy 2 W, NC, 1.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 89% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 51 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27030
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 8 – February 22 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 22 – April 5 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 19 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 31 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 9 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 23 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbsGarlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
The weeks before and after the 50% dates are general rules of thumb, not NOAA figures; a seed packet gives the timing for each variety.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 27030 is 2 miles from Mt Airy 2 W, NC, which stands at 1,080 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27030 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across North Carolina →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.