USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28052 — Gastonia, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Gastonia, NC (700 ft), 4 miles east.
Updated
In Gastonia, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 27 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 9, as early as October 28 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 228 days (NOAA, Gastonia, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 27
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 228 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
- 32%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Gastonia
Half of springs at Gastonia, NC see their last 32°F night by March 27; only one in ten is past it by March 9, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 92% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 9 in half of years, as early as October 28 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 228 days in a typical year, longer than at 76% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 252 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 one year in ten. On average 61 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 April 7, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 75%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 23 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Feb 3 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F75% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 16 |
| 24°F | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 |
| 16°F75% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Gastonia, 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 28052 →Compare Gastonia with another place →
Weather by month in Gastonia
July is the warmest month at Gastonia, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 31°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 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,146 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 79% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,011) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 944. Precipitation totals 44.1 inches a year, most in August (4.6") and least in November (3.0"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 31 | 3.8 | 100% | 18 | 31 |
| Feb | 57 | 34 | 3.3 | 99% | 13 | 48 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 3.6 | 95% | 7 | 158 |
| Apr | 74 | 50 | 3.5 | 34% | <1 | 362 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 602 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 810 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 944 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 904 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 709 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.4 | 18% | <1 | 398 |
| Nov | 64 | 40 | 3.0 | 94% | 7 | 131 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 3.8 | 98% | 15 | 49 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Gastonia, 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, Gastonia Municipal Airport, NC, 5 miles southeast of Gastonia, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 24), the same first-frost date, a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Gastonia, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Gastonia, NC, 4.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28052
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 16 – January 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 30 – February 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 17 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 26 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 9 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 28052 is 4 miles from Gastonia, NC, which stands at 700 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28054 (Gastonia). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28052 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.