USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27312 — Pittsboro, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Chatham Wtp, NC (308 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Pittsboro, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 221 days (NOAA, Chatham Wtp, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 221 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 Pittsboro
Half of springs at Chatham Wtp, NC see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the widest of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 221 days in a typical year, longer than at 60% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 74 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 12, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 88%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 17 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 26 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Chatham Wtp, 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 27312 →Compare Pittsboro with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Chapel Hill 2 W, NC, 12 miles northeast of Pittsboro and 192 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 31), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 3), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Pittsboro, 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, 15.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27312
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 27312 is 10 miles from Chatham Wtp, NC, which stands at 308 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27312 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.