USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27407 — Greensboro, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Greensboro Wtp, NC (765 ft), 6 miles northeast.
Updated
In Greensboro, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 14 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 217 days (NOAA, Greensboro Wtp, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 217 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 Greensboro
Half of springs at Greensboro Wtp, NC see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 14 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 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 217 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 239 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 63 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 27. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 92% of winters, usually between January 5 and February 5.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F | Jan 28 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 17 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 24 |
| 20°F | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Greensboro 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 27407 →Compare Greensboro with another place →
Weather by month in Greensboro
July is the warmest month at Greensboro Wtp, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 71°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 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,649 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 50% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,815) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 916. Precipitation totals 45.9 inches a year, most in July (5.8") and least in February (2.6"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 30 | 3.2 | 100% | 19 | 20 |
| Feb | 54 | 33 | 2.6 | 100% | 14 | 42 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 3.7 | 99% | 7 | 127 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 3.6 | 51% | 1 | 308 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 566 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 752 |
| Jul | 89 | 71 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 916 |
| Aug | 87 | 68 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 848 |
| Sep | 81 | 61 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 627 |
| Oct | 71 | 49 | 3.2 | 33% | <1 | 328 |
| Nov | 61 | 39 | 3.1 | 98% | 6 | 86 |
| Dec | 53 | 33 | 3.4 | 99% | 15 | 30 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Greensboro Wtp, NC (765 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, Piedmont Triad International Airport, NC, 6 miles northwest of Greensboro, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 30), a first frost 1 day later (November 5), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Greensboro, 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, 6.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27407
| 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 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 27407 is 6 miles from Greensboro Wtp, NC, which stands at 765 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 9 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27406 (Greensboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27407 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.