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Frost Date Finder

USDA Hardiness Zone 7b

Frost Dates for 27563 — Norlina, North Carolina

NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Henderson 4 NNE, NC (500 ft), 11 miles southwest.

Updated

In Norlina, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 227 days (NOAA, Henderson 4 NNE, NC).

Last spring frost
March 28

50% probability

First fall frost
November 9

50% probability

Growing season
227 days

freeze-free, 50%

Hardiness zone
7b

5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night

First snow
January 15

median, 1991–2020

Last snow
February 12

median, 1991–2020

Winters with snow
84%

16 of 19 observed

Snow per year
5.5"

NOAA normal

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Frost risk by date in Norlina

Half of springs at Henderson 4 NNE, NC see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 10, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 11 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 9 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 11 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 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 one year in ten. On average 61 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 8, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 77%.

Spring: the chance of another night this cold after the date
Low90%80%70%60%50%40%30%20%10%
36°FMar 24Mar 30Apr 2Apr 5Apr 8Apr 13Apr 16Apr 20Apr 30
32°FMar 10Mar 16Mar 20Mar 25Mar 28Mar 31Apr 3Apr 6Apr 11
28°FFeb 23Feb 28Mar 5Mar 10Mar 14Mar 18Mar 21Mar 27Mar 31
24°FFeb 2Feb 11Feb 19Feb 25Feb 28Mar 4Mar 9Mar 15Mar 20
20°F97% of yrsJan 14Jan 24Feb 1Feb 6Feb 13Feb 20Feb 27Mar 3Mar 11
16°F77% of yrsJan 4Jan 14Jan 19Jan 25Jan 31Feb 3Feb 10Feb 19Feb 28
Fall: the chance the first night this cold has come by the date
Low10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%
36°FOct 18Oct 23Oct 26Oct 30Nov 1Nov 3Nov 5Nov 9Nov 12
32°FOct 26Nov 1Nov 3Nov 6Nov 9Nov 12Nov 15Nov 19Nov 26
28°FNov 5Nov 10Nov 14Nov 18Nov 22Nov 26Dec 1Dec 5Dec 14
24°FNov 15Nov 24Dec 1Dec 4Dec 8Dec 15Dec 21Dec 29Jan 5
20°F97% of yrsDec 1Dec 10Dec 17Dec 24Dec 30Jan 3Jan 9Jan 16Jan 26
16°F77% of yrsDec 18Dec 29Jan 1Jan 6Jan 10Jan 16Jan 20Jan 28Feb 6

Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Henderson 4 NNE, 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 27563 →Compare Norlina with another place →

Compared with the next station

The nearest other station, John H Kerr Dam, VA, 11 miles northwest of Norlina and 250 feet lower, has a last frost 8 days later (April 5), a first frost 8 days earlier (November 1), a season 17 days shorter.

Frost dates for 23970 (South Hill) →

When it snows in Norlina, North Carolina

The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Norlina usually arrives around January 15, and the last of the season around February 12. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Arcola, NC, 17.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 84% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 44 days after the last snow.

Planting calendar for 27563

What to do and when, from the 50% frost dates for Norlina, North Carolina
WhenWhat to do
January 17 – January 31Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out.
January 31 – February 14Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early.
February 28 – March 14Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil.
March 28 onwardTransplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast.
by August 17Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops.
by October 26Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation.
November 9 onwardPlant 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 27563 is 11 miles from Henderson 4 NNE, NC, which stands at 500 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27563 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.

Other zone 7b places in North Carolina