USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27589 — Warrenton, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Arcola, NC (330 ft), 11 miles southeast.
Updated
In Warrenton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 217 days (NOAA, Arcola, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 217 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
- January 15
- Last snow
- February 12
- Winters with snow
- 84%
- Snow per year
- 5.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
16 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Warrenton
Half of springs at Arcola, NC see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 18, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 19 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 217 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 241 days one year in ten and falls short of 192 one year in ten. On average 86 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 16, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 82%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 11 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 6 | Feb 17 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 9 | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 15 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Arcola, 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 27589 →Compare Warrenton with another place →
Weather by month in Warrenton
July is the warmest month at Arcola, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 29°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 57% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,539 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 55% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,720) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 885. Precipitation totals 47.7 inches a year, most in July (5.1") and least in February (2.7"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 29 | 3.7 | 100% | 23 | 27 |
| Feb | 56 | 32 | 2.7 | 100% | 19 | 29 |
| Mar | 63 | 37 | 4.5 | 98% | 12 | 107 |
| Apr | 73 | 46 | 3.8 | 57% | 2 | 289 |
| May | 79 | 55 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 529 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 829 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 626 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.9 | 33% | 2 | 330 |
| Nov | 63 | 38 | 3.3 | 93% | 10 | 106 |
| Dec | 56 | 33 | 3.3 | 99% | 19 | 45 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Arcola, NC (330 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 4 NNE, NC, 14 miles west of Warrenton and 170 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 28), a first frost 4 days later (November 9), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Warrenton, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Warrenton 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, 10.6 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 50 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27589
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 27589 is 11 miles from Arcola, NC, which stands at 330 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27589 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.