USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 27817 — Chocowinity, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Washington Wwtp 4W, NC (10 ft), 5 miles north.
Updated
In Chocowinity, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 22 in half of years and has passed by April 7 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 15, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 237 days (NOAA, Washington Wwtp 4W, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 22
- First fall frost
- November 15
- Growing season
- 237 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
- 26%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Chocowinity
Half of springs at Washington Wwtp 4W, NC see their last 32°F night by March 22; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 7. Planting tender crops after March 29 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 1 20%, and after April 7 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 15 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 27, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 237 days in a typical year, longer than at 90% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 262 days one year in ten and falls short of 216 one year in ten. On average 47 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 3, and return around November 5. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 51%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 28°F | Feb 15 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 25 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F87% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 13 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F51% of yrs | Dec 27 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 23 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 14 |
| 20°F87% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F51% of yrs | Dec 18 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Washington Wwtp 4W, 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 27817 →Compare Chocowinity with another place →
Weather by month in Chocowinity
July is the warmest month at Washington Wwtp 4W, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,166 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 80% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,987) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 936. Precipitation totals 53.1 inches a year, most in September (6.6") and least in November (3.3"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 34 | 3.9 | 100% | 15 | 46 |
| Feb | 56 | 35 | 3.5 | 100% | 11 | 58 |
| Mar | 63 | 41 | 4.2 | 92% | 6 | 150 |
| Apr | 72 | 50 | 3.4 | 23% | 1 | 347 |
| May | 79 | 60 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 597 |
| Jun | 85 | 67 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 789 |
| Jul | 89 | 72 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 936 |
| Aug | 87 | 70 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 888 |
| Sep | 82 | 65 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Oct | 74 | 54 | 3.8 | 3% | <1 | 429 |
| Nov | 64 | 42 | 3.3 | 87% | 5 | 151 |
| Dec | 56 | 36 | 3.6 | 98% | 11 | 69 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Washington Wwtp 4W, NC (10 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, Aurora 6 N, NC, 18 miles east of Chocowinity, has a last frost 14 days earlier (March 8), a first frost 20 days later (December 5), a season 35 days longer.
When it snows in Chocowinity, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Washington Wwtp 4W, NC, 4.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27817
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 11 – January 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 25 – February 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 23 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 1 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 15 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 27817 is 5 miles from Washington Wwtp 4W, NC, which stands at 10 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27889 (Washington). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27817 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.