USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 27939 — Grandy, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elizabeth City Cgas, NC (13 ft), 17 miles west.
Updated
In Grandy, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 12, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Elizabeth City Cgas, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 12
- Growing season
- 230 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Grandy
Half of springs at Elizabeth City Cgas, NC see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 3 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 11 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 12 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 210 one year in ten. On average 50 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 8, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 62%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 23 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 |
| 16°F62% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 26 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 17 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F62% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elizabeth City Cgas, 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 27939 →Compare Grandy with another place →
Weather by month in Grandy
July is the warmest month at Elizabeth City Cgas, NC, averaging 88°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 September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 39% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,030 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 70% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,900) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 918. Precipitation totals 46.6 inches a year, most in July (5.7") and least in February (2.9"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 3.3 | 100% | 16 | 46 |
| Feb | 55 | 35 | 2.9 | 100% | 11 | 53 |
| Mar | 61 | 41 | 3.6 | 94% | 7 | 133 |
| Apr | 71 | 49 | 3.2 | 39% | 1 | 316 |
| May | 78 | 58 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 564 |
| Jun | 85 | 67 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Jul | 88 | 71 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 918 |
| Aug | 87 | 70 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Sep | 82 | 65 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 700 |
| Oct | 73 | 53 | 3.6 | 15% | <1 | 411 |
| Nov | 63 | 42 | 3.0 | 88% | 4 | 148 |
| Dec | 56 | 37 | 3.1 | 98% | 12 | 73 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elizabeth City Cgas, NC (13 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, NC, 19 miles west of Grandy, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 27), a first frost 5 days later (November 17), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Grandy, 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, 19.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27939
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 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 27939 is 17 miles from Elizabeth City Cgas, NC, which stands at 13 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27939 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.