USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27705 — Durham, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Durham, NC (400 ft), 2 miles north.
Updated
In Durham, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 2 in half of years and has passed by April 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 217 days (NOAA, Durham, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- November 4
- 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 25%
- Snow per year
- 1.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
5 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Durham
Half of springs at Durham, NC see their last 32°F night by April 2; only one in ten is past it by March 15, and one in ten still has one after April 18. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 13 20%, and after April 18 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 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 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 6, 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 239 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 84 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 14, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 86%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 7 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Durham, 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 27705 →Compare Durham with another place →
Weather by month in Durham
July is the warmest month at Durham, NC, averaging 87°F by day and 69°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 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,272 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 68% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,606) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 865. Precipitation totals 48.6 inches a year, most in June (5.2") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 28 | 4.0 | 100% | 21 | 12 |
| Feb | 53 | 30 | 2.9 | 100% | 19 | 19 |
| Mar | 61 | 37 | 4.5 | 97% | 11 | 99 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 3.7 | 53% | 2 | 267 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 497 |
| Jun | 83 | 64 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 712 |
| Jul | 87 | 69 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 865 |
| Aug | 85 | 67 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 803 |
| Sep | 79 | 61 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Oct | 70 | 48 | 3.4 | 30% | 1 | 287 |
| Nov | 60 | 37 | 3.7 | 97% | 11 | 81 |
| Dec | 52 | 32 | 3.3 | 98% | 20 | 27 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Durham, NC (400 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, Durham 11 W, NC, 8 miles southwest of Durham and 162 feet higher, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 31), the same first-frost date.
When it snows in Durham, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 5 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Butner Fltr Plt, NC, 13.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27705
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 22 – February 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 2 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 27705 is 2 miles from Durham, NC, which stands at 400 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27707 (Durham). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27705 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.