USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27886 — Tarboro, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Tarboro 1 S, NC (35 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In Tarboro, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 226 days (NOAA, Tarboro 1 S, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 226 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
- 32%
- Snow per year
- 2.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Tarboro
Half of springs at Tarboro 1 S, NC see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 12, and one in ten still has one after April 10. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 10 10%. The 11 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the narrowest 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 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 28 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 226 days in a typical year, longer than at 68% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 249 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 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 10 days longer, to about April 9, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 77%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 2 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F77% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 28 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 |
| 24°F | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 22 |
| 16°F77% of yrs | Dec 19 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Tarboro 1 S, 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 27886 →Compare Tarboro with another place →
Weather by month in Tarboro
July is the warmest month at Tarboro 1 S, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°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 42% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,836 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,821) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 924. Precipitation totals 47.6 inches a year, most in September (6.2") 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 | 51 | 30 | 3.3 | 100% | 20 | 30 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 3.0 | 100% | 16 | 37 |
| Mar | 62 | 38 | 3.7 | 96% | 9 | 121 |
| Apr | 72 | 47 | 3.6 | 42% | 1 | 299 |
| May | 79 | 57 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 557 |
| Jun | 86 | 66 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 777 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 924 |
| Aug | 87 | 69 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 871 |
| Sep | 82 | 63 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.4 | 16% | <1 | 368 |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 3.5 | 90% | 8 | 128 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 3.4 | 99% | 16 | 51 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Tarboro 1 S, NC (35 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 8 ESE, NC, 8 miles west of Tarboro, has a last frost 1 day later (March 31), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 7), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Tarboro, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Rocky Mt 8 ESE, NC, 7.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27886
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 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 27886 is 2 miles from Tarboro 1 S, NC, which stands at 35 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27886 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.