USDA Hardiness Zone 9a
Frost Dates for 27959 — Nags Head, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Manteo Airport, NC (13 ft), 5 miles west.
Updated
In Nags Head, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 15 in half of years and has passed by March 30 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around December 6, as early as November 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 266 days (NOAA, Manteo Airport, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 15
- First fall frost
- December 6
- Growing season
- 266 days
- Hardiness zone
- 9a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 40%
- Snow per year
- 1.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Nags Head
Half of springs at Manteo Airport, NC see their last 32°F night by March 15; only one in ten is past it by February 23, and one in ten still has one after March 30. Planting tender crops after March 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 26 20%, and after March 30 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by December 6 in half of years, as early as November 19 one year in ten, and holds off past December 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 19 days later, around December 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 19, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 266 days in a typical year, longer than at 99% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 293 days one year in ten and falls short of 242 one year in ten. On average 28 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 13 days longer, to about March 28, and return around November 24. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 92% of winters and 16°F in 26%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 10 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 |
| 28°F | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 19 |
| 24°F92% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 20°F63% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 |
| 16°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 24 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 32°F | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 14 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 |
| 28°F | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 21 | Dec 25 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 |
| 24°F92% of yrs | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Feb 2 |
| 20°F63% of yrs | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 |
| 16°F26% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Manteo Airport, 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 27959 →Compare Nags Head with another place →
Weather by month in Nags Head
July is the warmest month at Manteo Airport, NC, averaging 86°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 36°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From April to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 79% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,991 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 68% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 36% of them (1,786) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 918. Precipitation totals 46.5 inches a year, most in August (5.6") and least in April (2.9"); 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 | 36 | 3.8 | 100% | 11 | 31 |
| Feb | 53 | 37 | 3.2 | 98% | 8 | 36 |
| Mar | 59 | 43 | 3.8 | 79% | 3 | 113 |
| Apr | 68 | 51 | 2.9 | 7% | <1 | 301 |
| May | 75 | 60 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 540 |
| Jun | 82 | 69 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 766 |
| Jul | 86 | 73 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 918 |
| Aug | 84 | 72 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Sep | 79 | 69 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 717 |
| Oct | 71 | 58 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 460 |
| Nov | 61 | 48 | 2.9 | 31% | 1 | 172 |
| Dec | 55 | 40 | 3.3 | 90% | 5 | 63 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Manteo Airport, 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, Columbia Ag Gum Neck, NC, 32 miles southwest of Nags Head, has a last frost 14 days later (March 29), a first frost 23 days earlier (November 13), a season 35 days shorter.
When it snows in Nags Head, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Manteo Airport, NC, 5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27959
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 4 – January 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 18 – February 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by September 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| December 6 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 27959 is 5 miles from Manteo Airport, NC, which stands at 13 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27948 (Kill Devil Hills). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27959 in zone 9a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 20 to 25°F (-6.7 to -3.9°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.