USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27524 — Four Oaks, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Smithfield, NC (150 ft), 8 miles northeast.
Updated
In Four Oaks, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, Smithfield, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- 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
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Four Oaks
Half of springs at Smithfield, NC see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 10, 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 10 20%, and after April 14 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 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 21 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 17; 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 220 days in a typical year, longer than at 55% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 245 days one year in ten and falls short of 199 one year in ten. On average 76 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 14 days longer, to about April 12, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 72%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 32°F | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F72% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 21 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 23 |
| 16°F72% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Smithfield, 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 27524 →Compare Four Oaks with another place →
Weather by month in Four Oaks
July is the warmest month at Smithfield, NC, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°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 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,127 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 77% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,986) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 969. Precipitation totals 49.5 inches a year, most in July (5.5") and least in October (3.2"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 31 | 3.5 | 100% | 20 | 43 |
| Feb | 57 | 33 | 3.3 | 99% | 16 | 51 |
| Mar | 65 | 39 | 4.0 | 92% | 10 | 148 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 3.7 | 42% | 2 | 336 |
| May | 81 | 57 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 595 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 813 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 969 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 697 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 3.2 | 30% | 1 | 386 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 3.3 | 96% | 10 | 131 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 3.3 | 99% | 17 | 61 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Smithfield, NC (150 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, 15 miles north of Four Oaks and 182 feet higher, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 28), a first frost 3 days later (November 8), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Four Oaks, 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, 8.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27524
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 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 27524 is 8 miles from Smithfield, NC, which stands at 150 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27577 (Smithfield). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27524 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.