USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 27043 — Pinnacle, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rural Hall, NC (960 ft), 10 miles southeast.
Updated
In Pinnacle, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 21 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 209 days (NOAA, Rural Hall, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 209 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 12
- Last snow
- February 15
- Winters with snow
- 90%
- Snow per year
- 6.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Pinnacle
Half of springs at Rural Hall, NC see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 21, and one in ten still has one after April 21. Planting tender crops after April 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 21 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 31 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 14 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 209 days in a typical year, shorter than at 60% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 231 days one year in ten and falls short of 189 one year in ten. On average 85 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 14 days longer, to about April 20, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 93% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 6.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 7 |
| 32°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 |
| 20°F | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 27 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rural Hall, 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 27043 →Compare Pinnacle with another place →
Weather by month in Pinnacle
July is the warmest month at Rural Hall, NC, averaging 87°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°F and 28°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,086 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 77% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,542) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 834.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 28 | 100% | 22 | 14 |
| Feb | 51 | 30 | 100% | 19 | 20 |
| Mar | 59 | 36 | 99% | 11 | 91 |
| Apr | 69 | 45 | 67% | 2 | 248 |
| May | 77 | 54 | 1% | 0 | 475 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 694 |
| Jul | 87 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Aug | 85 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Sep | 79 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 573 |
| Oct | 69 | 47 | 52% | 2 | 260 |
| Nov | 59 | 37 | 99% | 9 | 78 |
| Dec | 50 | 31 | 100% | 20 | 28 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rural Hall, NC (960 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, Pfafftown, NC, 13 miles south of Pinnacle, has a last frost 3 days later (April 9), the same first-frost date, a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Pinnacle, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Pinnacle usually arrives around January 12, and the last of the season around February 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at King, NC, 5.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 90% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 50 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27043
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 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 27043 is 10 miles from Rural Hall, NC, which stands at 960 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27021 (King). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27043 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.