USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27707 — Durham, North Carolina
Averages from Durham, Nc US, the nearest reporting station, 5.6 miles away.
Plant tender crops after April 2, and expect the first autumn freeze around November 4. That leaves about 217 frost-free days.
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 217 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
frost-free
10 to 15°F annual low
Planting calendar for 27707
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 22 – February 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoors They need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Start tomatoes indoors Six to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoors These tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 2 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbers The average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicas They need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover them A first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbs Garlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
What these dates mean
Wait until after April 2 to put tender plants — tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash — in the ground. That is the date by which half of years in Durham, North Carolina are past their last freeze. Harvest before November 4, which leaves roughly 217 frost-free days.
ZIP 27707 sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a, meaning the average coldest night of the year falls between 10 to 15°F. Zone decides what survives the winter; frost dates decide when to plant each spring. They are different questions, and a plant can pass one and fail the other.
These are thirty-year NOAA averages for 1991–2020, not a forecast. Any individual year can frost two to three weeks either side of these dates, so check the actual forecast before planting out.