USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28138 — Rockwell, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Salisbury, NC (700 ft), 11 miles north.
Updated
In Rockwell, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 6 in half of years and has passed by April 27 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 30, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, Salisbury, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 6
- First fall frost
- October 30
- Growing season
- 208 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 33%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Rockwell
Half of springs at Salisbury, NC see their last 32°F night by April 6; only one in ten is past it by March 21, and one in ten still has one after April 27. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 18 20%, and after April 27 10%. The 21 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 98% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages, so a fixed calendar date is a gamble here.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 30 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 10 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 8; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year, shorter than at 62% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 226 days one year in ten and falls short of 184 one year in ten. On average 71 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 18, and return around October 22. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 96% of winters, usually between December 30 and February 10.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 3 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 26 | May 1 | May 10 |
| 32°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 18 | Apr 27 |
| 28°F | Mar 7 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 28°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 |
| 20°F | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 |
| 16°F96% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Salisbury, 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 28138 →Compare Rockwell with another place →
Weather by month in Rockwell
July is the warmest month at Salisbury, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 50°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 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,528 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,762) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 880. Precipitation totals 43.7 inches a year, most in July (4.6") and least in February (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 | 50 | 29 | 3.5 | 100% | 19 | 19 |
| Feb | 54 | 32 | 3.0 | 100% | 15 | 33 |
| Mar | 62 | 38 | 4.1 | 98% | 8 | 120 |
| Apr | 72 | 48 | 3.7 | 63% | 1 | 304 |
| May | 78 | 56 | 3.4 | 9% | 0 | 537 |
| Jun | 85 | 65 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 750 |
| Jul | 88 | 69 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 880 |
| Aug | 86 | 67 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Sep | 81 | 61 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 615 |
| Oct | 72 | 48 | 3.0 | 55% | 1 | 317 |
| Nov | 61 | 37 | 3.1 | 100% | 10 | 91 |
| Dec | 53 | 32 | 3.5 | 100% | 17 | 31 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Salisbury, 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, Concord, NC, 12 miles southwest of Rockwell, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 1), a first frost 3 days later (November 2), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Rockwell, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Albemarle, NC, 16.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28138
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 26 – February 9 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 9 – February 23 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 9 – March 23 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 6 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 7 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 16 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 30 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 28138 is 11 miles from Salisbury, NC, which stands at 700 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28146 (Salisbury). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28138 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.