USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 27053 — Westfield, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Danbury, NC (1,019 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Westfield, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by April 29 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 18 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 202 days (NOAA, Danbury, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 202 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 14
- Last snow
- February 24
- Winters with snow
- 86%
- Snow per year
- 8.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 28 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Westfield
Half of springs at Danbury, NC see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 25, and one in ten still has one after April 29. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 29 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 80% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 30 in half of years, as early as October 18 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 9; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 12, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 202 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 223 days one year in ten and falls short of 180 one year in ten. On average 101 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 11 days longer, to about April 22, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 93% of winters, usually between January 2 and February 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 29 |
| 28°F | Mar 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 | Mar 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 |
| 24°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 9 |
| 16°F93% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Danbury, 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 27053 →Compare Westfield with another place →
Weather by month in Westfield
July is the warmest month at Danbury, NC, averaging 87°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 48°F and 29°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 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,161 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 72% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,554) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 849. Precipitation totals 47.6 inches a year, most in September (5.0") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 48 | 29 | 3.8 | 100% | 23 | 15 |
| Feb | 52 | 30 | 2.9 | 100% | 20 | 21 |
| Mar | 59 | 36 | 4.1 | 99% | 14 | 91 |
| Apr | 70 | 45 | 3.9 | 75% | 4 | 243 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.4 | 8% | <1 | 482 |
| Jun | 84 | 63 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 702 |
| Jul | 87 | 68 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 849 |
| Aug | 85 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 794 |
| Sep | 79 | 59 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 582 |
| Oct | 70 | 47 | 3.5 | 54% | 3 | 280 |
| Nov | 60 | 36 | 3.1 | 99% | 15 | 77 |
| Dec | 51 | 31 | 4.0 | 100% | 20 | 25 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Danbury, NC (1,019 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, Stuart, VA, 12 miles northeast of Westfield and 356 feet higher, has a last frost 8 days later (April 19), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 27), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Westfield, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Westfield usually arrives around January 14, and the last of the season around February 24. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Danbury, NC, 9.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 86% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27053
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 27053 is 10 miles from Danbury, NC, which stands at 1,019 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 27025 (Madison). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27053 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.