USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27360 — Thomasville, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from High Pt, NC (900 ft), 9 miles northeast.
Updated
In Thomasville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, High Pt, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 5
- 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
- 37%
- Snow per year
- 1.9"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Thomasville
Half of springs at High Pt, NC see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 15 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 21 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 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 14 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 243 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 69 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 10, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 89%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 12 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F89% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 |
| 16°F89% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at High Pt, 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 27360 →Compare Thomasville with another place →
Weather by month in Thomasville
July is the warmest month at High Pt, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 32°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 41% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,964 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 65% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 40% of them (1,965) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 910. Precipitation totals 48.6 inches a year, most in August (5.1") and least in February (3.2"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 32 | 3.8 | 100% | 19 | 31 |
| Feb | 56 | 34 | 3.2 | 100% | 14 | 51 |
| Mar | 64 | 41 | 4.1 | 97% | 8 | 160 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 4.1 | 41% | 2 | 356 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 3.8 | 2% | 0 | 585 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 783 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Sep | 82 | 62 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 667 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.3 | 33% | 1 | 376 |
| Nov | 62 | 41 | 3.6 | 96% | 8 | 128 |
| Dec | 54 | 34 | 3.8 | 99% | 16 | 45 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at High Pt, NC (900 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, Lexington, NC, 10 miles west of Thomasville, has a last frost 12 days later (April 11), a first frost 8 days earlier (October 28), a season 21 days shorter.
When it snows in Thomasville, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at High Pt, NC, 9.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27360
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 27360 is 9 miles from High Pt, NC, which stands at 900 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27265 (High Point). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27360 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.