USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28033 — Crouse, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lincolnton 4 W, NC (887 ft), 3 miles north.
Updated
In Crouse, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 15 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 201 days (NOAA, Lincolnton 4 W, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 201 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
- January 6
- Last snow
- February 14
- Winters with snow
- 79%
- Snow per year
- 5.6"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
19 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Crouse
Half of springs at Lincolnton 4 W, NC see their last 32°F night by April 9; only one in ten is past it by March 24, and one in ten still has one after April 27. Planting tender crops after April 17 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 21 20%, and after April 27 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 80% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 28 in half of years, as early as October 15 one year in ten, and holds off past November 8 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 201 days in a typical year, shorter than at 72% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 220 days one year in ten and falls short of 180 one year in ten. On average 76 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 April 22, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between December 27 and February 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 10 |
| 32°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 27 |
| 28°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| 24°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Nov 29 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lincolnton 4 W, 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 28033 →Compare Crouse with another place →
Weather by month in Crouse
July is the warmest month at Lincolnton 4 W, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 67°F at night; January is the coldest at 51°F and 30°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 74% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,598 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 53% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,799) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 870. Precipitation totals 49.6 inches a year, most in August (4.9") and least in February (3.5"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 51 | 30 | 3.9 | 100% | 19 | 25 |
| Feb | 56 | 33 | 3.5 | 100% | 15 | 42 |
| Mar | 64 | 39 | 4.5 | 99% | 9 | 139 |
| Apr | 73 | 47 | 4.3 | 74% | 2 | 314 |
| May | 79 | 56 | 4.2 | 7% | 0 | 541 |
| Jun | 86 | 64 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 738 |
| Jul | 89 | 67 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 870 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Sep | 82 | 60 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 628 |
| Oct | 73 | 48 | 3.8 | 65% | 2 | 332 |
| Nov | 62 | 38 | 3.8 | 100% | 11 | 103 |
| Dec | 54 | 33 | 4.1 | 100% | 18 | 39 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lincolnton 4 W, NC (887 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, Vale Ag 2 SW, NC, 10 miles northwest of Crouse, has a last frost 3 days later (April 12), the same first-frost date, a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Crouse, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Crouse usually arrives around January 6, and the last of the season around February 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Lincolnton 4 W, NC, 3.1 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 79% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 54 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28033
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 29 – February 12 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 12 – February 26 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 12 – March 26 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 9 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 28033 is 3 miles from Lincolnton 4 W, NC, which stands at 887 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 28092 (Lincolnton). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28033 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.