USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28211 — Charlotte, North Carolina
Averages from Charlotte Douglas Ap, Nc US, the nearest reporting station, 9.6 miles away.
Plant tender crops after March 30, and expect the first autumn freeze around November 3. That leaves about 221 frost-free days.
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 221 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
frost-free
10 to 15°F annual low
- First snow
- January 18
- Last snow
- February 15
- Winters with snow
- 87%
- Snow per year
- 3.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
26 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
When it snows in Charlotte, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Charlotte, North Carolina usually arrives around January 18, and the last of the season around February 15. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Charlotte Douglas Ap, Nc US: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 87% of those winters.
For a gardener, snow matters less than frost: a light snow on frozen ground changes nothing, while a hard frost on an unprotected bed ends the season. Use the frost dates above for planting and the snow dates for getting hoses drained, mulch down and tender pots indoors.
Planting calendar for 28211
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoors They need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoors Six to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoors These tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbers The average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicas They need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover them A first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 onward | Plant garlic, mulch beds, lift tender bulbs Garlic wants a cold spell; bare soil loses structure over winter. |
What these dates mean
Wait until after March 30 to put tender plants — tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash — in the ground. That is the date by which half of years in Charlotte, North Carolina are past their last freeze. Harvest before November 3, which leaves roughly 221 frost-free days.
ZIP 28211 sits in USDA hardiness zone 8a, meaning the average coldest night of the year falls between 10 to 15°F. Zone decides what survives the winter; frost dates decide when to plant each spring. They are different questions, and a plant can pass one and fail the other.
These are thirty-year NOAA averages for 1991–2020, not a forecast. Any individual year can frost two to three weeks either side of these dates, so check the actual forecast before planting out.