USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28328 — Clinton, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Clinton 2 NE, NC (158 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In Clinton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 226 days (NOAA, Clinton 2 NE, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 226 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
- 47%
- Snow per year
- 1.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Clinton
Half of springs at Clinton 2 NE, NC see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 8 10%. The 13 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 92% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 18; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 226 days in a typical year, longer than at 68% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 250 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 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 11 days longer, to about April 6, and return around October 29. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 63%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F63% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 14 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 27 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F93% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 27 |
| 16°F63% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Clinton 2 NE, 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 28328 →Compare Clinton with another place →
Weather by month in Clinton
July is the warmest month at Clinton 2 NE, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 71°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 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,076 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 74% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,984) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 930. Precipitation totals 51.0 inches a year, most in September (6.6") and least in February (3.1"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 32 | 3.5 | 100% | 17 | 42 |
| Feb | 56 | 34 | 3.1 | 100% | 13 | 52 |
| Mar | 64 | 40 | 3.7 | 94% | 7 | 152 |
| Apr | 73 | 49 | 3.4 | 33% | <1 | 342 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 4.1 | 0% | 0 | 595 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 801 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 930 |
| Aug | 88 | 69 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 876 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 687 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.3 | 25% | <1 | 386 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.4 | 95% | 7 | 146 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 3.5 | 98% | 14 | 67 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Clinton 2 NE, NC (158 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, Warsaw 5 E, NC, 19 miles east of Clinton, has a last frost 12 days later (April 7), a first frost 8 days earlier (October 30), a season 22 days shorter.
When it snows in Clinton, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Clinton 2 NE, NC, 3.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28328
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 15 – January 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 29 – February 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 26 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 28328 is 4 miles from Clinton 2 NE, NC, which stands at 158 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 4 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28328 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.