USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27801 — Rocky Mount, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC (110 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Rocky Mount, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 223 days (NOAA, Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 223 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
- 32%
- Snow per year
- 2.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rocky Mount
Half of springs at Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 10, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 92% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 223 days in a typical year, longer than at 63% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 249 days one year in ten and falls short of 203 one year in ten. On average 70 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 9 days longer, to about April 9, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 82%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 10 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 23 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 17 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 23 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rocky Mt 8 ESE, 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 27801 →Compare Rocky Mount with another place →
Weather by month in Rocky Mount
July is the warmest month at Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 31°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 45% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,676 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 53% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,780) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 894. Precipitation totals 48.6 inches a year, most in September (6.2") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 31 | 3.2 | 100% | 19 | 24 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 3.0 | 100% | 15 | 38 |
| Mar | 61 | 38 | 3.9 | 95% | 12 | 117 |
| Apr | 71 | 47 | 3.5 | 45% | 1 | 298 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 543 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 760 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 894 |
| Aug | 85 | 67 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 817 |
| Sep | 81 | 62 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Oct | 72 | 50 | 3.6 | 20% | <1 | 348 |
| Nov | 65 | 39 | 3.2 | 94% | 10 | 132 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 3.2 | 99% | 13 | 53 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC (110 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, Rocky Mt Wilson Airport, NC, 9 miles southwest of Rocky Mount, has a last frost 1 day later (April 1), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 5), a season 4 days shorter.
When it snows in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC, 5.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27801
| 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 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 27801 is 6 miles from Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC, which stands at 110 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27801 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.