USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27592 — Willow Spring, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Garner, NC (330 ft), 8 miles north.
Updated
In Willow Spring, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 213 days (NOAA, Garner, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 1
- 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
- 35%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Willow Spring
Half of springs at Garner, NC see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 15 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 1 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 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 234 days one year in ten and falls short of 195 one year in ten. On average 88 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 13, and return around October 23. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 87%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 24 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 25 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 21 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 16°F87% of yrs | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Garner, 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 27592 →Compare Willow Spring with another place →
Weather by month in Willow Spring
July is the warmest month at Garner, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°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 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,295 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 66% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,659) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 851.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 28 | 100% | 23 | 19 |
| Feb | 56 | 29 | 100% | 18 | 29 |
| Mar | 64 | 35 | 98% | 14 | 107 |
| Apr | 72 | 45 | 53% | 1 | 276 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 0% | 0 | 509 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 720 |
| Jul | 88 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 851 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 817 |
| Sep | 80 | 60 | 0% | 0 | 591 |
| Oct | 71 | 46 | 45% | 1 | 280 |
| Nov | 61 | 36 | 99% | 13 | 70 |
| Dec | 54 | 30 | 99% | 18 | 29 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Garner, 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, Raleigh 4 SW, NC, 12 miles north of Willow Spring, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 28), a first frost 8 days later (November 9), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Willow Spring, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Raleigh 4 SW, NC, 12.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27592
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 27592 is 8 miles from Garner, NC, which stands at 330 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 27529 (Garner). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27592 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.