USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27330 — Sanford, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Sanford 8 NE, NC (262 ft), 8 miles northeast.
Updated
In Sanford, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 10 in half of years and has passed by April 25 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 203 days (NOAA, Sanford 8 NE, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 10
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 203 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
- 45%
- Snow per year
- 2.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sanford
Half of springs at Sanford 8 NE, NC see their last 32°F night by April 10; only one in ten is past it by March 26, and one in ten still has one after April 25. Planting tender crops after April 16 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 19 20%, and after April 25 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 57% 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 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 7; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 11, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 203 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 223 days one year in ten and falls short of 182 one year in ten. On average 79 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 22, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 95% of winters, usually between December 26 and February 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 4 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 25 |
| 28°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 24°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Jan 28 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 20°F | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F95% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 23 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Sanford 8 NE, 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 27330 →Compare Sanford with another place →
Weather by month in Sanford
July is the warmest month at Sanford 8 NE, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 31°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 76% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,889 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 62% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 40% of them (1,939) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 913. Precipitation totals 46.7 inches a year, most in July (5.3") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 31 | 3.6 | 100% | 19 | 37 |
| Feb | 57 | 33 | 3.0 | 100% | 16 | 51 |
| Mar | 65 | 39 | 3.6 | 98% | 11 | 159 |
| Apr | 75 | 47 | 3.4 | 76% | 3 | 346 |
| May | 81 | 56 | 3.5 | 6% | 0 | 574 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 772 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 913 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 854 |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 655 |
| Oct | 74 | 49 | 3.4 | 55% | 2 | 355 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 3.4 | 100% | 12 | 120 |
| Dec | 55 | 33 | 3.1 | 99% | 17 | 53 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Sanford 8 NE, NC (262 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, Carthage Wtp, NC, 16 miles southwest of Sanford and 178 feet higher, has a last frost 9 days earlier (April 1), a first frost 6 days later (November 5), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Sanford, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Sanford 8 NE, NC, 8.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27330
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 30 – February 13 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 13 – February 27 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 13 – March 27 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 10 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 27330 is 8 miles from Sanford 8 NE, NC, which stands at 262 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27330 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.