USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 27806 — Aurora, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Aurora 6 N, NC (20 ft), 6 miles north.
Updated
In Aurora, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 8 in half of years and has passed by March 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 5, as early as November 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 272 days (NOAA, Aurora 6 N, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 8
- First fall frost
- December 5
- Growing season
- 272 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 8%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Aurora
Half of springs at Aurora 6 N, NC see their last 32°F night by March 8; only one in ten is past it by February 12, and one in ten still has one after March 28. Planting tender crops after March 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 22 20%, and after March 28 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 97% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 5 in half of years, as early as November 16 one year in ten, and holds off past December 30 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 20 days later, around December 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 15, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 272 days in a typical year, longer than at 99% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 301 days one year in ten and falls short of 244 one year in ten. On average 30 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 15 days longer, to about March 23, and return around November 23. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 89% of winters and 16°F in 23%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 32°F | Feb 12 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 |
| 28°F | Jan 26 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 15 |
| 24°F89% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 10 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 |
| 20°F58% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 |
| 16°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 4 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 32°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 |
| 28°F | Nov 30 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 |
| 24°F89% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Jan 31 |
| 20°F58% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 17 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F23% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Aurora 6 N, 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 27806 →Compare Aurora with another place →
Weather by month in Aurora
July is the warmest month at Aurora 6 N, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 74°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from January to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 66% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,534 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 93% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (2,124) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 972. Precipitation totals 51.5 inches a year, most in August (5.9") and least in November (3.1"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 36 | 3.9 | 99% | 12 | 57 |
| Feb | 56 | 38 | 3.4 | 93% | 8 | 64 |
| Mar | 62 | 44 | 3.8 | 66% | 3 | 169 |
| Apr | 72 | 53 | 3.5 | 6% | <1 | 375 |
| May | 79 | 62 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 626 |
| Jun | 86 | 70 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Jul | 89 | 74 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Aug | 87 | 73 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 925 |
| Sep | 82 | 68 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 748 |
| Oct | 73 | 57 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 473 |
| Nov | 64 | 48 | 3.1 | 35% | 1 | 206 |
| Dec | 56 | 40 | 3.7 | 88% | 7 | 86 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Aurora 6 N, NC (20 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, Bayboro 3 SW, NC, 12 miles south of Aurora, has a last frost 22 days later (March 30), a first frost 27 days earlier (November 8), a season 48 days shorter.
When it snows in Aurora, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Aurora 6 N, NC, 5.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27806
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| December 28 – January 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 11 – January 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 8 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 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 27806 is 6 miles from Aurora 6 N, NC, which stands at 20 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27806 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.