USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28036 — Davidson, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Concord, NC (700 ft), 15 miles east.
Updated
In Davidson, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 2, as early as October 21 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 215 days (NOAA, Concord, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 2
- Growing season
- 215 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 18
- Last snow
- February 14
- Winters with snow
- 86%
- Snow per year
- 3.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
25 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Davidson
Half of springs at Concord, NC see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 16, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 16 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 November 2 in half of years, as early as October 21 one year in ten, and holds off past November 15 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 215 days in a typical year, shorter than at 54% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 235 days one year in ten and falls short of 195 one year in ten. On average 74 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 14, and return around October 24. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 89%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 11 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 14 |
| 16°F89% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Mar 3 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 24 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 |
| 16°F89% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 29 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Concord, 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 28036 →Compare Davidson with another place →
Weather by month in Davidson
July is the warmest month at Concord, NC, averaging 92°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 29°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 52% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,914 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 64% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,918) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 938. Precipitation totals 47.8 inches a year, most in July (5.3") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 47% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 29 | 3.7 | 100% | 20 | 28 |
| Feb | 57 | 31 | 3.1 | 100% | 16 | 40 |
| Mar | 65 | 38 | 4.1 | 97% | 9 | 141 |
| Apr | 74 | 47 | 4.0 | 52% | 1 | 328 |
| May | 81 | 56 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 582 |
| Jun | 88 | 65 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 799 |
| Jul | 92 | 69 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 938 |
| Aug | 90 | 67 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 883 |
| Sep | 84 | 61 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 667 |
| Oct | 74 | 48 | 3.5 | 41% | 1 | 355 |
| Nov | 64 | 37 | 3.5 | 99% | 10 | 113 |
| Dec | 56 | 32 | 3.5 | 99% | 18 | 40 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Concord, NC (700 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, Salisbury 9 WNW, NC, 18 miles northeast of Davidson, has a last frost 8 days later (April 9), a first frost 5 days earlier (October 28), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Davidson, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Davidson usually arrives around January 18, and the last of the season around February 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Concord, NC, 14.7 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 86% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 46 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28036
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 10 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 19 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 2 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 28036 is 15 miles from Concord, NC, which stands at 700 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 12 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28027 (Concord). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28036 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.