USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28040 — Ellenboro, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Shelby 2 NW, NC (820 ft), 11 miles east.
Updated
In Ellenboro, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 12 in half of years and has passed by April 28 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 25, as early as October 12 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 195 days (NOAA, Shelby 2 NW, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 12
- First fall frost
- October 25
- Growing season
- 195 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
- 42%
- Snow per year
- 3.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
10 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ellenboro
Half of springs at Shelby 2 NW, NC see their last 32°F night by April 12; only one in ten is past it by March 27, and one in ten still has one after April 28. Planting tender crops after April 19 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 22 20%, and after April 28 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 25 in half of years, as early as October 12 one year in ten, and holds off past November 5 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around November 2; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 195 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 215 days one year in ten and falls short of 173 one year in ten. On average 88 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 25, and return around October 16. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 99% of winters, usually between December 18 and February 14.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 6 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 27 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 28 |
| 28°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Feb 28 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 |
| 20°F | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 |
| 32°F | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 |
| 28°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 |
| 20°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 29 |
| 16°F99% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Shelby 2 NW, 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 28040 →Compare Ellenboro with another place →
Weather by month in Ellenboro
July is the warmest month at Shelby 2 NW, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 27°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 82% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,472 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 61% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,715) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 876. Precipitation totals 50.5 inches a year, most in March (4.7") and least in February (3.4"); May to September bring 43% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 27 | 4.3 | 100% | 21 | 19 |
| Feb | 57 | 30 | 3.4 | 100% | 18 | 30 |
| Mar | 64 | 36 | 4.7 | 100% | 11 | 116 |
| Apr | 73 | 45 | 4.3 | 82% | 2 | 283 |
| May | 80 | 54 | 4.3 | 8% | <1 | 529 |
| Jun | 87 | 62 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 738 |
| Jul | 91 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Aug | 89 | 65 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Sep | 83 | 58 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 621 |
| Oct | 74 | 45 | 3.7 | 75% | 2 | 309 |
| Nov | 64 | 35 | 4.0 | 100% | 13 | 89 |
| Dec | 55 | 29 | 4.4 | 100% | 20 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Shelby 2 NW, NC (820 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, Forest City 8 W, NC, 13 miles west of Ellenboro, has a last frost 1 day earlier (April 11), a first frost 2 days later (October 27), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Ellenboro, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 10 of 24 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Casar, NC, 13.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28040
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 1 – February 15 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 15 – March 29 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 12 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 2 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 11 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 25 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 28040 is 11 miles from Shelby 2 NW, NC, which stands at 820 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28152 (Shelby). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28040 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.