USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27880 — Sims, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wilson 3 SW, NC (110 ft), 8 miles southeast.
Updated
In Sims, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 22 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 236 days (NOAA, Wilson 3 SW, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 22
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 236 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
- 47%
- Snow per year
- 3.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Sims
Half of springs at Wilson 3 SW, NC see their last 32°F night by March 22; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 2 20%, and after April 8 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 12 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 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 27, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 236 days in a typical year, longer than at 88% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 263 days one year in ten and falls short of 213 one year in ten. On average 60 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 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 56%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 12 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 27 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Jan 5 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 12 | Feb 23 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 20 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wilson 3 SW, 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 27880 →Compare Sims with another place →
Weather by month in Sims
July is the warmest month at Wilson 3 SW, NC, averaging 90°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 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 5,108 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 76% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,966) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 950. Precipitation totals 50.4 inches a year, most in September (6.1") and least in February (3.0"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 3.8 | 100% | 18 | 41 |
| Feb | 55 | 34 | 3.0 | 99% | 14 | 49 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 4.2 | 91% | 8 | 145 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.9 | 23% | 1 | 337 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 589 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 805 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 950 |
| Aug | 88 | 70 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Sep | 83 | 64 | 6.1 | 0% | 0 | 700 |
| Oct | 73 | 52 | 3.4 | 9% | <1 | 393 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.3 | 87% | 6 | 142 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 3.6 | 99% | 14 | 59 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wilson 3 SW, NC (110 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, Rocky Mt Wilson Airport, NC, 12 miles northeast of Sims, has a last frost 10 days later (April 1), a first frost 7 days earlier (November 5), a season 17 days shorter.
When it snows in Sims, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Zebulon 3 SW, NC, 16 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27880
| 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 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 27880 is 8 miles from Wilson 3 SW, NC, which stands at 110 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 6 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27893 (Wilson). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27880 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.