USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27846 — Jamesville, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Williamston 1 E, NC (20 ft), 10 miles northwest.
Updated
In Jamesville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 239 days (NOAA, Williamston 1 E, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 20
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 239 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
- 13%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Jamesville
Half of springs at Williamston 1 E, NC see their last 32°F night by March 20; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 5. Planting tender crops after March 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 5 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 12 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 25, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 239 days in a typical year, longer than at 92% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 268 days one year in ten and falls short of 215 one year in ten. On average 53 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 13 days longer, to about April 2, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 45%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 28°F | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 |
| 20°F80% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 26 |
| 16°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 13 | Dec 25 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 |
| 20°F80% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 |
| 16°F45% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Williamston 1 E, 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 27846 →Compare Jamesville with another place →
Weather by month in Jamesville
July is the warmest month at Williamston 1 E, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 88% of years and April still brings one in 20% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,048 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 73% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,939) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 928. Precipitation totals 53.2 inches a year, most in September (6.9") and least in February (3.2"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 3.7 | 100% | 17 | 40 |
| Feb | 55 | 35 | 3.2 | 99% | 12 | 52 |
| Mar | 62 | 42 | 4.1 | 88% | 5 | 149 |
| Apr | 71 | 50 | 3.7 | 20% | <1 | 335 |
| May | 78 | 59 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 574 |
| Jun | 85 | 67 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 789 |
| Jul | 89 | 71 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 928 |
| Aug | 87 | 70 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Sep | 82 | 64 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 691 |
| Oct | 73 | 52 | 4.3 | 11% | <1 | 395 |
| Nov | 63 | 42 | 3.4 | 84% | 6 | 151 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 3.6 | 98% | 14 | 63 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Williamston 1 E, 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, Plymouth 5 E, NC, 16 miles northeast of Jamesville, has a last frost 11 days later (March 31), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 7), a season 18 days shorter.
When it snows in Jamesville, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Williamston 1 E, NC, 9.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27846
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 9 – January 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 20 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 12 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 27846 is 10 miles from Williamston 1 E, NC, which stands at 20 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 27892 (Williamston). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27846 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.