USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27587 — Wake Forest, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Falls Lake, NC (280 ft), 7 miles west.
Updated
In Wake Forest, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 4 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 213 days (NOAA, Falls Lake, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 4
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 213 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 Wake Forest
Half of springs at Falls Lake, NC see their last 32°F night by April 4; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 19 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 4 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 213 days in a typical year, shorter than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 233 days one year in ten and falls short of 195 one year in ten. On average 82 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 13 days longer, to about April 17, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 88%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 29 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 17 |
| 16°F88% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Falls Lake, 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 27587 →Compare Wake Forest with another place →
Weather by month in Wake Forest
July is the warmest month at Falls Lake, NC, averaging 87°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°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 62% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,233 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 69% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,619) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 857. Precipitation totals 47.5 inches a year, most in September (5.3") and least in February (2.9"); 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 | 28 | 3.5 | 100% | 22 | 20 |
| Feb | 53 | 30 | 2.9 | 100% | 18 | 30 |
| Mar | 62 | 36 | 4.2 | 98% | 12 | 103 |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 3.7 | 62% | 2 | 268 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 488 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 711 |
| Jul | 87 | 68 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 857 |
| Aug | 85 | 67 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 797 |
| Sep | 79 | 61 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Oct | 68 | 48 | 3.3 | 34% | 1 | 263 |
| Nov | 59 | 37 | 3.6 | 99% | 10 | 73 |
| Dec | 52 | 32 | 3.9 | 99% | 18 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Falls Lake, NC (280 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, Louisburg, NC, 15 miles northeast of Wake Forest, has a last frost 7 days later (April 11), a first frost 6 days earlier (October 29), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Wake Forest, 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, 16 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27587
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 24 – February 7 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 7 – February 21 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 7 – March 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 4 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 27587 is 7 miles from Falls Lake, NC, which stands at 280 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27587 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.