USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27520 — Clayton, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Clayton Wtp, NC (300 ft), under a mile northwest.
Updated
In Clayton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 211 days (NOAA, Clayton Wtp, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 211 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
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Clayton
Half of springs at Clayton Wtp, NC see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 23, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 20 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 3 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 12, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 211 days in a typical year, shorter than at 59% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 233 days one year in ten and falls short of 191 one year in ten. On average 77 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 18, and return around October 26. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 92% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 7.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 7 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 24°F | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 19 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 22 |
| 20°F | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 12 |
| 16°F92% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Clayton 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 27520 →Compare Clayton with another place →
Weather by month in Clayton
July is the warmest month at Clayton Wtp, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°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 72% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,692 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 54% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,790) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 899. Precipitation totals 52.2 inches a year, most in July (6.1") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 30 | 4.3 | 100% | 20 | 31 |
| Feb | 56 | 31 | 3.1 | 100% | 17 | 36 |
| Mar | 63 | 37 | 4.1 | 98% | 11 | 123 |
| Apr | 73 | 46 | 3.6 | 72% | 1 | 297 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 549 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 754 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 899 |
| Aug | 87 | 68 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 852 |
| Sep | 82 | 62 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 654 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.5 | 34% | 1 | 339 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 3.6 | 99% | 10 | 113 |
| Dec | 55 | 32 | 3.8 | 99% | 17 | 45 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Clayton Wtp, NC (300 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, Clayton 3E, NC, 3 miles east of Clayton, has a last frost 10 days earlier (March 28), a first frost 5 days later (November 8), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Clayton, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Smithfield, NC, 10.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27520
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 27 – February 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 27520 is under a mile from Clayton Wtp, NC, which stands at 300 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27520 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.