USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 27976 — South Mills, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wallaceton-Lake Drummond, VA (20 ft), 12 miles northwest.
Updated
In South Mills, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 20 in half of years and has passed by May 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 27, as early as October 17 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 190 days (NOAA, Wallaceton-Lake Drummond, VA).
- Last spring frost
- April 20
- First fall frost
- October 27
- Growing season
- 190 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 South Mills
Half of springs at Wallaceton-Lake Drummond, VA see their last 32°F night by April 20; only one in ten is past it by April 2, and one in ten still has one after May 9. Planting tender crops after April 28 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 2 20%, and after May 9 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 27 in half of years, as early as October 17 one year in ten, and holds off past November 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 28, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 190 days in a typical year, shorter than at 83% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 211 days one year in ten and falls short of 165 one year in ten. On average 109 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 May 1, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 14 and February 28.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 13 | May 20 |
| 32°F | Apr 2 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 28 | May 2 | May 9 |
| 28°F | Mar 23 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| 24°F | Mar 6 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 20°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 16°F | Jan 29 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 |
| 20°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wallaceton-Lake Drummond, VA, 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 27976 →Compare South Mills with another place →
Weather by month in South Mills
July is the warmest month at Wallaceton-Lake Drummond, VA, averaging 91°F by day and 63°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 24°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from November to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 23% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,136 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 74% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 36% of them (1,508) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 845. Precipitation totals 54.2 inches a year, most in July (5.6") and least in February (3.4"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 24 | 4.2 | 100% | 25 | 13 |
| Feb | 56 | 25 | 3.4 | 100% | 22 | 26 |
| Mar | 62 | 31 | 4.2 | 100% | 18 | 73 |
| Apr | 72 | 41 | 4.1 | 90% | 5 | 231 |
| May | 81 | 50 | 4.2 | 23% | 1 | 474 |
| Jun | 88 | 58 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 690 |
| Jul | 91 | 63 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 845 |
| Aug | 90 | 60 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 773 |
| Sep | 84 | 55 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 589 |
| Oct | 75 | 44 | 4.4 | 70% | 3 | 306 |
| Nov | 65 | 33 | 3.8 | 99% | 14 | 82 |
| Dec | 57 | 27 | 3.9 | 100% | 22 | 33 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wallaceton-Lake Drummond, VA (20 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, 12 miles southeast of South Mills, has a last frost 24 days earlier (March 27), a first frost 21 days later (November 17), a season 48 days longer.
When it snows in South Mills, 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, 12 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 27976
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 9 – February 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 23 – March 9 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 23 – April 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 20 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 4 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 13 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 27 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 27976 is 12 miles from Wallaceton-Lake Drummond, VA, which stands at 20 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 27976 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.