USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28333 — Dudley, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Goldsboro 4 SE, NC (109 ft), 5 miles northeast.
Updated
In Dudley, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 15 in half of years and has passed by April 1 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 18, as early as November 2 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 250 days (NOAA, Goldsboro 4 SE, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 15
- First fall frost
- November 18
- Growing season
- 250 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
- 38%
- Snow per year
- 2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Dudley
Half of springs at Goldsboro 4 SE, NC see their last 32°F night by March 15; only one in ten is past it by February 23, and one in ten still has one after April 1. Planting tender crops after March 23 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 28 20%, and after April 1 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 18 in half of years, as early as November 2 one year in ten, and holds off past December 7 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 20, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 250 days in a typical year, longer than at 98% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 278 days one year in ten and falls short of 227 one year in ten. On average 42 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 14 days longer, to about March 29, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 97% of winters and 16°F in 41%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 12 |
| 32°F | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 28°F | Feb 4 | Feb 12 | Feb 20 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 3 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 20 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 20°F77% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 24 |
| 16°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Nov 2 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
| 28°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Nov 28 | Dec 6 | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 11 | Jan 20 |
| 20°F77% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F41% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Goldsboro 4 SE, 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 28333 →Compare Dudley with another place →
Weather by month in Dudley
July is the warmest month at Goldsboro 4 SE, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 35°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 78% of years and April still brings one in 11% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,559 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 94% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,199) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 972. Precipitation totals 52.2 inches a year, most in September (7.0") and least in February (3.2"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 35 | 3.6 | 100% | 13 | 53 |
| Feb | 58 | 36 | 3.2 | 98% | 9 | 65 |
| Mar | 65 | 43 | 4.2 | 78% | 4 | 190 |
| Apr | 75 | 51 | 3.9 | 11% | <1 | 400 |
| May | 82 | 60 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 640 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 852 |
| Jul | 91 | 72 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 972 |
| Aug | 89 | 71 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 928 |
| Sep | 83 | 66 | 7.0 | 0% | 0 | 745 |
| Oct | 75 | 54 | 3.8 | 5% | <1 | 448 |
| Nov | 66 | 43 | 3.2 | 77% | 4 | 189 |
| Dec | 57 | 37 | 3.6 | 95% | 11 | 78 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Goldsboro 4 SE, NC (109 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, Goldsboro Ag 1 N, NC, 9 miles north of Dudley, has a last frost 13 days later (March 28), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 12), a season 19 days shorter.
When it snows in Dudley, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 21 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Warsaw 5 E, NC, 19.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28333
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 4 – January 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 18 – February 1 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 15 – March 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 26 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 4 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 18 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 28333 is 5 miles from Goldsboro 4 SE, NC, which stands at 109 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 27534 (Goldsboro). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28333 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.