USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 27925 — Columbia, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Columbia Ag Gum Neck, NC (10 ft), 13 miles southeast.
Updated
In Columbia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 231 days (NOAA, Columbia Ag Gum Neck, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 231 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 1.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Columbia
Half of springs at Columbia Ag Gum Neck, NC see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 11, 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 5 20%, and after April 10 10%. The 12 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 98% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 13 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 17 days later, around November 30; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 211 one year in ten. On average 59 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 November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 63%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Jan 19 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 19 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F63% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 25 |
| 24°F | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 16 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Feb 3 |
| 16°F63% of yrs | Dec 23 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Columbia Ag Gum Neck, 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 27925 →Compare Columbia with another place →
Weather by month in Columbia
July is the warmest month at Columbia Ag Gum Neck, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°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 September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 38% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,853 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 61% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,802) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 902.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 100% | 18 | 45 |
| Feb | 55 | 32 | 100% | 14 | 47 |
| Mar | 61 | 39 | 96% | 9 | 118 |
| Apr | 70 | 48 | 38% | <1 | 286 |
| May | 78 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 560 |
| Jun | 84 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 746 |
| Jul | 88 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 902 |
| Aug | 86 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 851 |
| Sep | 82 | 63 | 0% | 0 | 667 |
| Oct | 74 | 52 | 13% | <1 | 401 |
| Nov | 64 | 42 | 84% | 6 | 153 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 96% | 12 | 77 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Columbia Ag Gum Neck, NC (10 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, 21 miles northwest of Columbia, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 24), a first frost 1 day later (November 14), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Columbia, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Plymouth 5 E, NC, 24.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27925
| 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 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 27925 is 13 miles from Columbia Ag Gum Neck, NC, which stands at 10 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27925 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.