USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27610 — Raleigh, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Raleigh 4 SW, NC (420 ft), 6 miles southwest.
Updated
In Raleigh, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 227 days (NOAA, Raleigh 4 SW, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 227 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 Raleigh
Half of springs at Raleigh 4 SW, NC see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 12. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 12 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 9 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 227 days in a typical year, longer than at 72% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 251 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 57 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 10 days longer, to about April 7, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 69%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F69% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 12 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 17 |
| 24°F | Nov 18 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 27 |
| 16°F69% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Raleigh 4 SW, 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 27610 →Compare Raleigh with another place →
Weather by month in Raleigh
July is the warmest month at Raleigh 4 SW, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 33°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 37% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,105 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,005) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 924. Precipitation totals 50.6 inches a year, most in June (5.7") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 33 | 3.9 | 100% | 16 | 44 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 3.1 | 100% | 14 | 57 |
| Mar | 65 | 41 | 4.2 | 94% | 6 | 161 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 3.8 | 37% | 1 | 358 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 793 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 924 |
| Aug | 88 | 69 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 690 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.9 | 18% | <1 | 397 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.4 | 92% | 6 | 149 |
| Dec | 56 | 36 | 3.6 | 98% | 14 | 61 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Raleigh 4 SW, NC (420 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 State Univ, NC, 7 miles west of Raleigh, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day earlier (November 8), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Raleigh, 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, 6.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27610
| 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 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 27610 is 6 miles from Raleigh 4 SW, NC, which stands at 420 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27610 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.