USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 27574 — Roxboro, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Roxboro 7 ESE, NC (710 ft), 7 miles southeast.
Updated
In Roxboro, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by April 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 194 days (NOAA, Roxboro 7 ESE, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 194 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 1
- Last snow
- February 22
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 8.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
22 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Roxboro
Half of springs at Roxboro 7 ESE, NC see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 27, and one in ten still has one after April 30. Planting tender crops after April 21 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 24 20%, and after April 30 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 October 26 in half of years, as early as October 12 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 3; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 17, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 194 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 217 days one year in ten and falls short of 174 one year in ten. On average 106 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 26, and return around October 17. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 98% of winters, usually between December 18 and February 19.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 12 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 6 | May 13 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 28°F | Mar 14 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 20°F | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 25 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 |
| 32°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 |
| 24°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 |
| 16°F98% of yrs | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Roxboro 7 ESE, 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 27574 →Compare Roxboro with another place →
Weather by month in Roxboro
July is the warmest month at Roxboro 7 ESE, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 26°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 82% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,273 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,611) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 862. Precipitation totals 47.2 inches a year, most in September (5.2") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 26 | 4.0 | 100% | 24 | 18 |
| Feb | 55 | 28 | 2.9 | 100% | 21 | 23 |
| Mar | 63 | 34 | 4.3 | 100% | 15 | 97 |
| Apr | 73 | 43 | 4.0 | 82% | 5 | 265 |
| May | 79 | 53 | 3.7 | 9% | <1 | 496 |
| Jun | 86 | 62 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 713 |
| Jul | 89 | 66 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Aug | 88 | 64 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 806 |
| Sep | 82 | 57 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 593 |
| Oct | 73 | 45 | 3.6 | 71% | 4 | 288 |
| Nov | 63 | 34 | 3.5 | 100% | 16 | 85 |
| Dec | 55 | 29 | 4.0 | 100% | 22 | 29 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Roxboro 7 ESE, NC (710 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, Yanceyville 4 SE, NC, 16 miles west of Roxboro, has a last frost 15 days earlier (March 31), a first frost 9 days later (November 4), a season 24 days longer.
When it snows in Roxboro, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Roxboro usually arrives around January 1, and the last of the season around February 22. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Yanceyville 4 SE, NC, 16.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 52 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27574
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 27574 is 7 miles from Roxboro 7 ESE, NC, which stands at 710 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27574 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.