USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27820 — Conway, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Murfreesboro, NC (100 ft), 9 miles east.
Updated
In Conway, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Murfreesboro, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 208 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
- January 9
- Last snow
- February 16
- Winters with snow
- 77%
- Snow per year
- 5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
17 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Conway
Half of springs at Murfreesboro, NC see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 23, and one in ten still has one after April 23. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 23 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 65% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 1 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year, shorter than at 62% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 227 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 one year in ten. On average 83 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 April 21, and return around October 24. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 90%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 4 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 23 | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 |
| 32°F | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 28°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 31 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F90% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 23 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F90% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Murfreesboro, 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 27820 →Compare Conway with another place →
Weather by month in Conway
July is the warmest month at Murfreesboro, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 29°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 68% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,341 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 65% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,611) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 865. Precipitation totals 49.6 inches a year, most in August (5.6") and least in February (2.8"); 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 | 29 | 3.7 | 100% | 21 | 23 |
| Feb | 53 | 31 | 2.8 | 100% | 18 | 29 |
| Mar | 60 | 36 | 3.9 | 100% | 12 | 90 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 3.5 | 68% | 2 | 259 |
| May | 77 | 55 | 4.0 | 4% | 0 | 489 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 721 |
| Jul | 88 | 68 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 865 |
| Aug | 86 | 66 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 803 |
| Sep | 81 | 60 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 613 |
| Oct | 71 | 48 | 3.8 | 45% | 1 | 313 |
| Nov | 61 | 38 | 3.2 | 99% | 10 | 98 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 3.5 | 98% | 18 | 38 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Murfreesboro, NC (100 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, Jackson, NC, 11 miles west of Conway, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 5), the same first-frost date, a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Conway, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Conway usually arrives around January 9, and the last of the season around February 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Jackson, NC, 10.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 77% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 49 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 27820
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 27820 is 9 miles from Murfreesboro, NC, which stands at 100 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27910 (Ahoskie). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27820 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.