USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28304 — Fayetteville, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Fayetteville Regional Airport, NC (186 ft), 6 miles southeast.
Updated
In Fayetteville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 22 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 236 days (NOAA, Fayetteville Regional Airport, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 22
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 236 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 21%
- Snow per year
- 1.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fayetteville
Half of springs at Fayetteville Regional Airport, NC see their last 32°F night by March 22; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 30 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 8 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 65% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 13 in half of years, as early as November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 28, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 236 days in a typical year, longer than at 88% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 262 days one year in ten and falls short of 214 one year in ten. On average 47 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 3, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 56%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 17 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 28 |
| 24°F | Jan 22 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 8 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 20 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 | Jan 11 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F56% of yrs | Dec 20 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Fayetteville Regional 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 28304 →Compare Fayetteville with another place →
Weather by month in Fayetteville
July is the warmest month at Fayetteville Regional Airport, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 34°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to March (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, April still brings one in 25% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,512 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 92% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,205) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 981. Precipitation totals 44.8 inches a year, most in August (5.4") and least in February (2.8"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 34 | 3.2 | 100% | 15 | 59 |
| Feb | 58 | 36 | 2.8 | 99% | 10 | 73 |
| Mar | 65 | 42 | 3.1 | 93% | 5 | 184 |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 3.2 | 25% | <1 | 391 |
| May | 82 | 60 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 648 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 850 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 981 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 922 |
| Sep | 84 | 65 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 727 |
| Oct | 75 | 53 | 3.2 | 9% | <1 | 433 |
| Nov | 65 | 42 | 3.0 | 87% | 5 | 166 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 3.0 | 98% | 12 | 77 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Fayetteville Regional Airport, NC (186 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, Fayetteville (Pwc), NC, 7 miles east of Fayetteville, has a last frost 8 days later (March 30), a first frost 3 days earlier (November 10), a season 9 days shorter.
When it snows in Fayetteville, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Fayetteville (Pwc), NC, 6.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28304
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 11 – January 25 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 25 – February 8 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 22 – March 8 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 22 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 28304 is 6 miles from Fayetteville Regional Airport, NC, which stands at 186 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28306 (Fayetteville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28304 in zone 8b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 15 to 20°F (-9.4 to -6.7°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.