USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27569 — Princeton, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Goldsboro Ag 1 N, NC (109 ft), 10 miles east.
Updated
In Princeton, 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 12, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 231 days (NOAA, Goldsboro Ag 1 N, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 231 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 Princeton
Half of springs at Goldsboro Ag 1 N, NC see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 9, 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 12 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past November 29 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 24; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 257 days one year in ten and falls short of 210 one year in ten. On average 60 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 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 61%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F61% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 29 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F61% of yrs | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Goldsboro Ag 1 N, 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 27569 →Compare Princeton with another place →
Weather by month in Princeton
July is the warmest month at Goldsboro Ag 1 N, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 32°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,889 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 62% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,875) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 920.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 36 |
| Feb | 55 | 33 | 99% | 13 | 53 |
| Mar | 62 | 39 | 93% | 9 | 133 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 40% | 1 | 306 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 566 |
| Jun | 86 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 781 |
| Jul | 88 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 920 |
| Aug | 86 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 859 |
| Sep | 82 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 672 |
| Oct | 73 | 52 | 6% | <1 | 385 |
| Nov | 62 | 40 | 91% | 8 | 122 |
| Dec | 55 | 35 | 98% | 12 | 56 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Goldsboro Ag 1 N, NC (109 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, Smithfield, NC, 11 miles west of Princeton, has a last frost 1 day later (March 29), a first frost 7 days earlier (November 5), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Princeton, 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, 10.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27569
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 12 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 27569 is 10 miles from Goldsboro Ag 1 N, NC, which stands at 109 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27530 (Goldsboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27569 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.