USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27617 — Raleigh, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Raleigh Durham International Airport, NC (416 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Raleigh, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 219 days (NOAA, Raleigh Durham International Airport, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 219 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 10
- Last snow
- February 20
- Winters with snow
- 87%
- Snow per year
- 5.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Raleigh
Half of springs at Raleigh Durham International Airport, NC see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 15, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 16 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 4 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 219 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 241 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 65 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 13, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 81%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 32°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Raleigh Durham International Airport, 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 27617 →Compare Raleigh with another place →
Weather by month in Raleigh
July is the warmest month at Raleigh Durham International Airport, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 32°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 48% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,037 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 72% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,964) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 945. Precipitation totals 46.1 inches a year, most in September (5.2") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 32 | 3.4 | 100% | 18 | 37 |
| Feb | 56 | 34 | 2.8 | 100% | 14 | 53 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 4.1 | 94% | 8 | 152 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.5 | 48% | 1 | 337 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 585 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 893 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 678 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.4 | 32% | 1 | 370 |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 3.3 | 97% | 8 | 132 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 3.4 | 98% | 15 | 55 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Raleigh Durham International Airport, NC (416 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, Falls Lake, NC, 7 miles northeast of Raleigh, has a last frost 4 days later (April 4), the same first-frost date, a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Raleigh, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Raleigh usually arrives around January 10, and the last of the season around February 20. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Raleigh Durham International Airport, NC, 2.4 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 87% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 39 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27617
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 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 27617 is 2 miles from Raleigh Durham International Airport, NC, which stands at 416 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27703 (Durham). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27617 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.