USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27909 — Elizabeth City, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elizabeth City, NC (8 ft), 2 miles northeast.
Updated
In Elizabeth City, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 27 in half of years and has passed by April 18 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 17, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 238 days (NOAA, Elizabeth City, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 27
- First fall frost
- November 17
- Growing season
- 238 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elizabeth City
Half of springs at Elizabeth City, NC see their last 32°F night by March 27; only one in ten is past it by March 7, and one in ten still has one after April 18. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 18 10%. The 22 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is the widest of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 17 in half of years, as early as November 3 one year in ten, and holds off past December 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around December 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 4, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 238 days in a typical year, longer than at 91% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 263 days one year in ten and falls short of 211 one year in ten. On average 58 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 11 days longer, to about April 7, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 56%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 | May 2 |
| 32°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 18 |
| 28°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Apr 4 |
| 24°F | Jan 28 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 25 | Jan 29 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 |
| 28°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 18 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elizabeth City, 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 27909 →Compare Elizabeth City with another place →
Weather by month in Elizabeth City
July is the warmest month at Elizabeth City, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 34°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 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,255 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 85% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,989) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 952. Precipitation totals 51.3 inches a year, most in July (5.9") and least in February (3.3"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 34 | 3.6 | 100% | 17 | 42 |
| Feb | 56 | 35 | 3.3 | 100% | 14 | 50 |
| Mar | 63 | 41 | 4.2 | 92% | 8 | 151 |
| Apr | 72 | 50 | 3.5 | 33% | 1 | 347 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 4.1 | 6% | <1 | 586 |
| Jun | 86 | 68 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 813 |
| Jul | 89 | 73 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 952 |
| Aug | 87 | 71 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 902 |
| Sep | 82 | 66 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 723 |
| Oct | 74 | 55 | 3.7 | 4% | 0 | 449 |
| Nov | 64 | 44 | 3.4 | 78% | 5 | 170 |
| Dec | 56 | 38 | 3.9 | 97% | 13 | 69 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elizabeth City, NC (8 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, Elizabeth City Cgas, NC, 4 miles southeast of Elizabeth City, has a last frost 1 day later (March 28), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 12), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Elizabeth City, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Elizabeth City, NC, 2.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27909
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 16 – January 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 30 – February 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 17 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 27909 is 2 miles from Elizabeth City, NC, which stands at 8 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27909 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.