USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28213 — Charlotte, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Charlotte Douglas Airport, NC (728 ft), 12 miles west.
Updated
In Charlotte, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 14 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 221 days (NOAA, Charlotte Douglas Airport, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 221 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 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
Frost risk by date in Charlotte
Half of springs at Charlotte Douglas Airport, NC see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 12, and one in ten still has one after April 14. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 14 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 November 3 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 17 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 14; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 221 days in a typical year, longer than at 60% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 201 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 12 days longer, to about April 11, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 80%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 28 |
| 32°F | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 |
| 28°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Feb 4 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F80% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 29 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 17 |
| 16°F80% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Charlotte Douglas Airport, 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 28213 →Compare Charlotte with another place →
Weather by month in Charlotte
July is the warmest month at Charlotte Douglas Airport, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°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 44% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,035 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 71% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,983) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 933. Precipitation totals 43.7 inches a year, most in August (4.4") and least in February (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 | 52 | 32 | 3.5 | 100% | 17 | 34 |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 3.1 | 99% | 12 | 55 |
| Mar | 64 | 41 | 4.0 | 95% | 6 | 163 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.8 | 44% | 1 | 344 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 591 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 796 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 888 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 681 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.2 | 36% | 1 | 376 |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 3.3 | 99% | 7 | 125 |
| Dec | 55 | 35 | 3.6 | 99% | 14 | 50 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Charlotte Douglas Airport, NC (728 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, 13 miles northeast of Charlotte, has a last frost 2 days later (April 1), a first frost 1 day earlier (November 2), a season 6 days shorter.
When it snows in Charlotte, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Charlotte 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 Airport, NC, 11.9 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 87% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 43 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28213
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 28213 is 12 miles from Charlotte Douglas Airport, NC, which stands at 728 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 24 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28269 (Charlotte). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28213 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.