USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27832 — Gaston, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Roanoke Rapids, NC (210 ft), 2 miles southeast.
Updated
In Gaston, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 222 days (NOAA, Roanoke Rapids, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 222 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
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 1.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gaston
Half of springs at Roanoke Rapids, NC see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 15, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 16 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 9 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 222 days in a typical year, longer than at 61% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 246 days one year in ten and falls short of 201 one year in ten. On average 70 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 12, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 78%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F78% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 |
| 24°F | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 20°F97% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 13 | Dec 25 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F78% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 17 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Roanoke Rapids, 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 27832 →Compare Gaston with another place →
Weather by month in Gaston
July is the warmest month at Roanoke Rapids, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°F and 30°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 47% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,635 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 51% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,710) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 916. Precipitation totals 49.5 inches a year, most in September (5.5") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 30 | 3.7 | 100% | 20 | 23 |
| Feb | 53 | 32 | 2.9 | 100% | 17 | 29 |
| Mar | 60 | 37 | 4.3 | 97% | 10 | 94 |
| Apr | 70 | 46 | 3.6 | 47% | 1 | 270 |
| May | 78 | 57 | 3.4 | 2% | <1 | 534 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 760 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 916 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 859 |
| Sep | 82 | 62 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 652 |
| Oct | 71 | 50 | 3.6 | 16% | 1 | 344 |
| Nov | 61 | 40 | 3.3 | 94% | 7 | 112 |
| Dec | 53 | 34 | 3.5 | 99% | 15 | 41 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Roanoke Rapids, NC (210 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, Roanoke Rapids Airport, NC, 5 miles south of Gaston, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 27), a first frost 3 days later (November 12), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Gaston, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Emporia 1 WNW, VA, 15.3 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27832
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 27832 is 2 miles from Roanoke Rapids, NC, which stands at 210 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 27870 (Roanoke Rapids). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27832 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.