USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27804 — Rocky Mount, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Rocky Mt Wilson Airport, NC (160 ft), 9 miles southwest.
Updated
In Rocky Mount, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 219 days (NOAA, Rocky Mt Wilson Airport, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 5
- 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 20%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rocky Mount
Half of springs at Rocky Mt Wilson Airport, NC see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 16 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 5 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 6, 10 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 240 days one year in ten and falls short of 200 one year in ten. On average 69 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 13, and return around October 28. 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 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 10 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 22 |
| 16°F82% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 27 | Feb 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Rocky Mt Wilson 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 27804 →Compare Rocky Mount with another place →
Weather by month in Rocky Mount
July is the warmest month at Rocky Mt Wilson Airport, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°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 53% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,867 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 61% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,874) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 922. Precipitation totals 44.4 inches a year, most in August (4.9") 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 | 52 | 31 | 3.5 | 100% | 19 | 38 |
| Feb | 55 | 33 | 2.9 | 100% | 15 | 48 |
| Mar | 63 | 39 | 4.0 | 96% | 9 | 135 |
| Apr | 73 | 48 | 3.6 | 53% | 1 | 316 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 563 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 775 |
| Jul | 91 | 69 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 922 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 868 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.2 | 29% | 1 | 365 |
| Nov | 63 | 39 | 3.1 | 97% | 8 | 119 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 2.9 | 98% | 16 | 54 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Rocky Mt Wilson Airport, NC (160 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 8 ESE, NC, 10 miles southeast of Rocky Mount, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 31), a first frost 2 days later (November 7), a season 4 days longer.
When it snows in Rocky Mount, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Rocky Mt, NC, 1.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27804
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 27804 is 9 miles from Rocky Mt Wilson Airport, NC, which stands at 160 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 27804 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.