USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 27810 — Belhaven, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Belhaven 3 NE, NC, 2 miles northeast.
Updated
In Belhaven, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 233 days (NOAA, Belhaven 3 NE, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 233 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
- 42%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Belhaven
Half of springs at Belhaven 3 NE, NC see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by March 7, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 8 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 79% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 11 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 29, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 233 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 258 days one year in ten and falls short of 211 one year in ten. On average 48 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 10 days longer, to about April 4, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 62%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F62% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 14 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F62% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 18 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 6 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Belhaven 3 NE, 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 27810 →Compare Belhaven with another place →
Weather by month in Belhaven
July is the warmest month at Belhaven 3 NE, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December 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 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,035 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 71% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,925) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 919. Precipitation totals 52.4 inches a year, most in August (6.4") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 33 | 3.9 | 100% | 15 | 42 |
| Feb | 57 | 34 | 3.0 | 100% | 12 | 45 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 3.7 | 93% | 5 | 138 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.3 | 28% | <1 | 341 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 577 |
| Jun | 86 | 67 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 783 |
| Jul | 89 | 71 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Aug | 87 | 69 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 865 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 685 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 3.6 | 14% | <1 | 410 |
| Nov | 65 | 42 | 3.3 | 85% | 4 | 164 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 3.6 | 98% | 12 | 68 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Belhaven 3 NE, NC, 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, Aurora 6 N, NC, 15 miles southwest of Belhaven, has a last frost 17 days earlier (March 8), a first frost 24 days later (December 5), a season 39 days longer.
When it snows in Belhaven, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Belhaven 3 NE, NC, 2.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27810
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 11 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 27810 is 2 miles from Belhaven 3 NE, NC, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27810 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.