USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 27565 — Oxford, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Oxford Ag, NC (500 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Oxford, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 222 days (NOAA, Oxford Ag, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 222 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- January 20
- Last snow
- February 13
- Winters with snow
- 69%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
11 of 16 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Oxford
Half of springs at Oxford Ag, NC see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 14 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 6 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, longer than at 61% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 202 one year in ten. On average 69 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 12 days longer, to about April 11, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 80%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 15 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 |
| 16°F80% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 24°F | Nov 15 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 3 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F80% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Oxford Ag, 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 27565 →Compare Oxford with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Oxford
In Oxford, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 14 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 25, 194 days later; that gap is longer than at 61% of the 172 North Carolina stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 29 days (March 16 to April 14) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 31 days (October 25 to November 25): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Henderson 2 NNW, NC, 11 miles east, the same gap runs from April 30 to October 13, 28 days shorter.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 16 | over 90% | 53% |
| Mar 23 | 73% | 33% |
| Mar 3050% date | 50% | 16% |
| Apr 6 | 25% | under 10% |
| Apr 13 | 12% | under 10% |
| Apr 20 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Oxford
July is the warmest month at Oxford Ag, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°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 43% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,592 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 54% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,760) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 907. Precipitation totals 46.5 inches a year, most in June (5.0") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 3.3 | 100% | 22 | 24 |
| Feb | 52 | 32 | 2.8 | 100% | 15 | 30 |
| Mar | 61 | 39 | 4.6 | 98% | 8 | 112 |
| Apr | 71 | 48 | 3.7 | 43% | 1 | 293 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 543 |
| Jun | 85 | 66 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 759 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Aug | 87 | 68 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 851 |
| Sep | 80 | 61 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Oct | 71 | 49 | 3.2 | 25% | 1 | 319 |
| Nov | 60 | 40 | 3.4 | 93% | 7 | 104 |
| Dec | 52 | 34 | 3.6 | 99% | 16 | 36 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Oxford Ag, NC (500 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, Henderson 2 NNW, NC, 11 miles east of Oxford, has a last frost 17 days later (April 16), a first frost 11 days earlier (October 26), a season 29 days shorter.
When it snows in Oxford, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Oxford usually arrives around January 20, and the last of the season around February 13. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Oxford Ag, NC, 2.5 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 69% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27565
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 27565 is 3 miles from Oxford Ag, NC, which stands at 500 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 27565 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.