USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28323 — Bunnlevel, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lillington, NC (150 ft), 6 miles north.
Updated
In Bunnlevel, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 223 days (NOAA, Lillington, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 223 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
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 2.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Bunnlevel
Half of springs at Lillington, NC see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 11, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 8 20%, and after April 15 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 6 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 223 days in a typical year, longer than at 63% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 247 days one year in ten and falls short of 201 one year in ten. On average 77 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 13 days longer, to about April 12, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 71%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 26 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 22 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 4 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F71% of yrs | Dec 15 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lillington, 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 28323 →Compare Bunnlevel with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Dunn 4 NW, NC, 8 miles east of Bunnlevel, has a last frost 2 days earlier (March 28), a first frost 1 day later (November 7), a season 3 days longer.
When it snows in Bunnlevel, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Dunn 4 NW, NC, 7.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28323
| 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 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 28323 is 6 miles from Lillington, NC, which stands at 150 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 27501 (Angier). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28323 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.