USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28115 — Mooresville, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Salisbury 9 WNW, NC (725 ft), 13 miles northeast.
Updated
In Mooresville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 9 in half of years and has passed by April 24 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 203 days (NOAA, Salisbury 9 WNW, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 9
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 203 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 7
- Last snow
- February 16
- Winters with snow
- 75%
- Snow per year
- 3.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
18 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Mooresville
Half of springs at Salisbury 9 WNW, 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 24. Planting tender crops after April 14 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 19 20%, and after April 24 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 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, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 203 days in a typical year, shorter than at 69% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 221 days one year in ten and falls short of 183 one year in ten. On average 93 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 12 days longer, to about April 21, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between December 26 and February 11.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 29 | May 3 | May 10 |
| 32°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 24 |
| 28°F | Mar 10 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 20°F | Feb 3 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 21 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 |
| 32°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 28°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 8 |
| 20°F | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Salisbury 9 WNW, 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 28115 →Compare Mooresville with another place →
Weather by month in Mooresville
July is the warmest month at Salisbury 9 WNW, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°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 75% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,393 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 64% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,677) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 873. Precipitation totals 44.2 inches a year, most in June (4.3") and least in October (3.1"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 50 | 27 | 3.6 | 100% | 22 | 18 |
| Feb | 54 | 30 | 3.2 | 100% | 19 | 26 |
| Mar | 61 | 37 | 4.0 | 99% | 12 | 105 |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 3.8 | 75% | 3 | 270 |
| May | 78 | 55 | 3.5 | 4% | 0 | 522 |
| Jun | 85 | 64 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 736 |
| Jul | 89 | 68 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 873 |
| Aug | 87 | 66 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 826 |
| Sep | 81 | 59 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 607 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 3.1 | 63% | 3 | 296 |
| Nov | 61 | 36 | 3.2 | 100% | 14 | 86 |
| Dec | 53 | 30 | 3.7 | 100% | 21 | 29 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Salisbury 9 WNW, NC (725 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, Statesville 2 NNE, NC, 16 miles north of Mooresville, has a last frost 7 days later (April 16), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 25), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Mooresville, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Mooresville usually arrives around January 7, and the last of the season around February 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Salisbury 9 WNW, NC, 12.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 75% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 52 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28115
| 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 28115 is 13 miles from Salisbury 9 WNW, NC, which stands at 725 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28115 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.