USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27549 — Louisburg, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Louisburg, NC (260 ft), 4 miles northwest.
Updated
In Louisburg, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 11 in half of years and has passed by April 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 29, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 201 days (NOAA, Louisburg, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 11
- First fall frost
- October 29
- Growing season
- 201 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
- 47%
- Snow per year
- 3.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Louisburg
Half of springs at Louisburg, NC see their last 32°F night by April 11; only one in ten is past it by March 25, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 20 20%, and after April 28 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 65% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 29 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 11 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 12, 16 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 201 days in a typical year, shorter than at 72% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 221 days one year in ten and falls short of 180 one year in ten. On average 98 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 22, and return around October 20. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 32°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | Mar 11 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 20°F | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 23 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 28°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 21 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 30 | Jan 7 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 26 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Louisburg, 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 27549 →Compare Louisburg with another place →
Weather by month in Louisburg
July is the warmest month at Louisburg, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 28°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 76% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,534 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,700) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 904. Precipitation totals 48.4 inches a year, most in August (5.5") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 28 | 3.7 | 100% | 23 | 24 |
| Feb | 55 | 30 | 2.9 | 100% | 20 | 33 |
| Mar | 63 | 36 | 4.1 | 99% | 14 | 106 |
| Apr | 72 | 44 | 3.5 | 76% | 3 | 272 |
| May | 79 | 54 | 3.7 | 7% | <1 | 518 |
| Jun | 87 | 63 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 747 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Aug | 89 | 66 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 848 |
| Sep | 83 | 60 | 4.9 | 0% | <1 | 637 |
| Oct | 73 | 46 | 3.6 | 57% | 3 | 313 |
| Nov | 63 | 35 | 3.4 | 99% | 14 | 94 |
| Dec | 55 | 31 | 3.5 | 99% | 20 | 39 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Louisburg, NC (260 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, Arcola, NC, 22 miles northeast of Louisburg, has a last frost 8 days earlier (April 3), a first frost 7 days later (November 5), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Louisburg, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Zebulon 3 SW, NC, 19.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27549
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 31 – February 14 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 14 – February 28 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 14 – March 28 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 11 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 6 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 15 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 29 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 27549 is 4 miles from Louisburg, NC, which stands at 260 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27549 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.