USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27519 — Cary, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Apex, NC (450 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In Cary, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 27 in half of years and has passed by April 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 227 days (NOAA, Apex, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 27
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 227 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
- January 7
- Last snow
- February 23
- Winters with snow
- 81%
- Snow per year
- 4.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
13 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Cary
Half of springs at Apex, NC see their last 32°F night by March 27; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 10. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 10 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 79% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 8 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 227 days in a typical year, longer than at 72% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 251 days one year in ten and falls short of 206 one year in ten. On average 67 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 7, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 73%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F73% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
| 24°F | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 28 |
| 16°F73% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Apex, 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 27519 →Compare Cary with another place →
Weather by month in Cary
July is the warmest month at Apex, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,739 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,823) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 905. Precipitation totals 48.4 inches a year, most in September (5.3") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 31 | 3.7 | 100% | 19 | 34 |
| Feb | 54 | 33 | 3.0 | 99% | 15 | 42 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 4.1 | 94% | 9 | 128 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 3.6 | 36% | 1 | 307 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 549 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 763 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 905 |
| Aug | 87 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 854 |
| Sep | 82 | 62 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Oct | 72 | 50 | 3.7 | 20% | <1 | 341 |
| Nov | 62 | 40 | 3.5 | 94% | 7 | 118 |
| Dec | 54 | 34 | 3.7 | 98% | 16 | 50 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Apex, NC (450 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, Cary, NC, 4 miles southeast of Cary, has a last frost 4 days later (March 31), a first frost 2 days later (November 10), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Cary, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Cary usually arrives around January 7, and the last of the season around February 23. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Apex, NC, 1.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 81% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 32 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27519
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 16 – January 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 30 – February 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 27519 is 2 miles from Apex, NC, which stands at 450 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27519 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.