USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28119 — Morven, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wadesboro, NC (480 ft), 8 miles northwest.
Updated
In Morven, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 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 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 231 days (NOAA, Wadesboro, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 9
- Growing season
- 231 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
- 43%
- Snow per year
- 3.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Morven
Half of springs at Wadesboro, NC see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 6, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 9 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 November 9 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 29 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 29, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 256 days one year in ten and falls short of 209 one year in ten. On average 58 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 4, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 64%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 29 |
| 24°F | Jan 30 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Jan 7 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F64% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 29 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 15 |
| 24°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 27 |
| 16°F64% of yrs | Dec 15 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wadesboro, 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 28119 →Compare Morven with another place →
Weather by month in Morven
July is the warmest month at Wadesboro, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 32°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 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,140 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 78% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,017) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 945. Precipitation totals 47.9 inches a year, most in July (5.2") and least in February (3.2"); 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 | 32 | 4.1 | 100% | 17 | 35 |
| Feb | 57 | 34 | 3.2 | 100% | 12 | 51 |
| Mar | 64 | 41 | 3.8 | 92% | 7 | 164 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 3.4 | 27% | <1 | 355 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 603 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 808 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 945 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 896 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 694 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.8 | 19% | <1 | 393 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.6 | 90% | 6 | 143 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 3.6 | 97% | 15 | 52 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wadesboro, NC (480 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, Chesterfield 3 E, SC, 9 miles south of Morven and 275 feet lower, has a last frost 8 days later (April 1), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 3), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Morven, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Wadesboro, NC, 7.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28119
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 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 28119 is 8 miles from Wadesboro, NC, which stands at 480 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 28170 (Wadesboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28119 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.