USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 27106 — Winston Salem, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Pfafftown, NC (950 ft), 3 miles west.
Updated
In Winston Salem, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 204 days (NOAA, Pfafftown, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 204 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 Winston Salem
Half of springs at Pfafftown, NC see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 25, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 79% 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 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 12, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 204 days in a typical year, shorter than at 68% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 224 days one year in ten and falls short of 185 one year in ten. On average 98 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 12 days longer, to about April 21, and return around October 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 22 and February 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 31 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Pfafftown, 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 27106 →Compare Winston Salem with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Winston Salem Rynlds Airport, NC, 5 miles east of Winston Salem, has a last frost 14 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 9 days later (November 9), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Winston Salem, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Winston Salem 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, 10.2 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 53 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27106
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 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 27106 is 3 miles from Pfafftown, NC, which stands at 950 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 27106 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.