USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27298 — Liberty, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Siler City 2 N, NC (610 ft), 10 miles southeast.
Updated
In Liberty, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, Siler City 2 N, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 220 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 25%
- Snow per year
- 1.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Liberty
Half of springs at Siler City 2 N, NC see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 92% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 4 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 220 days in a typical year, longer than at 55% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 242 days one year in ten and falls short of 200 one year in ten. On average 73 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 April 13, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 83%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 27 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 12 |
| 16°F83% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Mar 2 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 |
| 16°F83% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Siler City 2 N, 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 27298 →Compare Liberty with another place →
Weather by month in Liberty
July is the warmest month at Siler City 2 N, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 30°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 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,563 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 55% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,758) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 887. Precipitation totals 45.9 inches a year, most in September (5.1") and least in February (3.2"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 30 | 3.9 | 100% | 20 | 28 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 3.2 | 100% | 16 | 40 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 4.2 | 97% | 9 | 128 |
| Apr | 71 | 47 | 3.9 | 45% | 1 | 293 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 528 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 742 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 887 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Sep | 81 | 61 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 621 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.4 | 31% | 1 | 316 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 3.5 | 97% | 9 | 106 |
| Dec | 53 | 33 | 3.6 | 99% | 17 | 42 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Siler City 2 N, NC (610 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, Burlington Alamance Airport, NC, 12 miles northeast of Liberty, has a last frost 1 day later (April 1), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 2), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Liberty, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Siler City 2 N, NC, 10.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27298
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 27298 is 10 miles from Siler City 2 N, NC, which stands at 610 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27344 (Siler City). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27298 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.