USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28227 — Charlotte, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Monroe Airport, NC (679 ft), 13 miles south.
Updated
In Charlotte, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 23 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, Monroe Airport, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 220 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 14
- Winters with snow
- 86%
- Snow per year
- 3.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
25 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Charlotte
Half of springs at Monroe Airport, NC see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 11, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 10 20%, and after April 16 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 5 in half of years, as early as October 23 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 220 days in a typical year, longer than at 55% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 199 one year in ten. On average 57 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 12, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 79%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 |
| 16°F79% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 26 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 23 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 22 |
| 16°F79% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 5 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Monroe 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 28227 →Compare Charlotte with another place →
Weather by month in Charlotte
July is the warmest month at Monroe Airport, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 69°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 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,989 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 66% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 40% of them (1,971) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 919. Precipitation totals 38.0 inches a year, most in August (3.8") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 32 | 3.0 | 100% | 18 | 42 |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 2.8 | 99% | 12 | 59 |
| Mar | 64 | 41 | 3.2 | 94% | 6 | 158 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 2.9 | 46% | 1 | 342 |
| May | 80 | 57 | 2.9 | 0% | 0 | 583 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 3.7 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Jul | 91 | 69 | 3.6 | 0% | 0 | 919 |
| Aug | 89 | 68 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 874 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 3.2 | 0% | 0 | 673 |
| Oct | 73 | 50 | 3.0 | 29% | 1 | 372 |
| Nov | 63 | 40 | 2.9 | 98% | 7 | 124 |
| Dec | 55 | 34 | 3.0 | 99% | 14 | 56 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Monroe Airport, NC (679 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, 16 miles north of Charlotte, has a last frost 1 day later (April 1), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 2), a season 5 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 14. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Concord, NC, 15.8 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Snow fell in 86% of those winters. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 45 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28227
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 28227 is 13 miles from Monroe Airport, NC, which stands at 679 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28277 (Charlotte). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28227 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.