USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27924 — Colerain, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lewiston, NC (50 ft), 19 miles west.
Updated
In Colerain, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 223 days (NOAA, Lewiston, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 223 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
- 29%
- Snow per year
- 0.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Colerain
Half of springs at Lewiston, NC see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 12, and one in ten still has one after April 12. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 12 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 79% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 223 days in a typical year, longer than at 63% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 246 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 64 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 9, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 76%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Feb 1 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 |
| 24°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 6 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 23 |
| 16°F76% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lewiston, 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 27924 →Compare Colerain with another place →
Weather by month in Colerain
July is the warmest month at Lewiston, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 33°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 4,996 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,949) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 919. Precipitation totals 49.7 inches a year, most in September (6.4") 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 | 51 | 33 | 3.7 | 100% | 17 | 41 |
| Feb | 55 | 35 | 3.2 | 100% | 15 | 52 |
| Mar | 62 | 41 | 4.0 | 96% | 9 | 145 |
| Apr | 72 | 50 | 3.5 | 42% | 1 | 340 |
| May | 79 | 58 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 578 |
| Jun | 86 | 67 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 793 |
| Jul | 89 | 70 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Aug | 87 | 69 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 874 |
| Sep | 82 | 63 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 675 |
| Oct | 72 | 52 | 3.5 | 22% | 1 | 381 |
| Nov | 62 | 42 | 3.2 | 93% | 7 | 140 |
| Dec | 54 | 36 | 3.3 | 99% | 15 | 58 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lewiston, NC (50 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, Edenton, NC, 20 miles southeast of Colerain, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 24), a first frost 7 days later (November 14), a season 15 days longer.
When it snows in Colerain, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Lewiston, NC, 19.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27924
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 27924 is 19 miles from Lewiston, NC, which stands at 50 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27874 (Scotland Neck). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27924 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.