USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 27315 — Providence, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Danville 2 SE, VA (392 ft), 4 miles north.
Updated
In Providence, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 8 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 205 days (NOAA, Danville 2 SE, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 8
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 205 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 18
- Last snow
- February 20
- Winters with snow
- 90%
- Snow per year
- 7.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
27 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Providence
Half of springs at Danville 2 SE, VA see their last 32°F night by April 8; only one in ten is past it by March 22, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 19 20%, and after April 30 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 1 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 20 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 205 days in a typical year, shorter than at 66% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 226 days one year in ten and falls short of 183 one year in ten. On average 87 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 21, and return around October 23. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 5 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 8 |
| 32°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 13 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 14 |
| 20°F | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 3 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Danville 2 SE, VA, 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 27315 →Compare Providence with another place →
Weather by month in Providence
July is the warmest month at Danville 2 SE, VA, averaging 91°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 27°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 69% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,433 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 62% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,648) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 905. Precipitation totals 47.1 inches a year, most in July (4.8") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 27 | 3.7 | 100% | 22 | 12 |
| Feb | 54 | 29 | 3.1 | 100% | 19 | 18 |
| Mar | 62 | 35 | 4.1 | 99% | 11 | 88 |
| Apr | 72 | 44 | 3.9 | 69% | 2 | 265 |
| May | 80 | 54 | 4.4 | 8% | <1 | 519 |
| Jun | 87 | 63 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 745 |
| Jul | 91 | 68 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 905 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 854 |
| Sep | 83 | 59 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 624 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 3.6 | 46% | 1 | 300 |
| Nov | 62 | 35 | 3.3 | 99% | 12 | 82 |
| Dec | 53 | 30 | 3.4 | 100% | 21 | 20 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Danville 2 SE, VA (392 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, Danville Regional Airport, VA, 5 miles northeast of Providence and 179 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days later (April 10), a first frost 4 days earlier (October 28), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Providence, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Providence usually arrives around January 18, and the last of the season around February 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Danville Regional Airport, VA, 4.7 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 47 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27315
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 28 – February 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 11 – February 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 27315 is 4 miles from Danville 2 SE, VA, which stands at 392 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 24540 (Danville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27315 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.