USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28334 — Dunn, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Dunn 4 NW, NC (200 ft), 5 miles west.
Updated
In Dunn, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 28 in half of years and has passed by April 11 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, Dunn 4 NW, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 28
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 226 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 Dunn
Half of springs at Dunn 4 NW, NC see their last 32°F night by March 28; only one in ten is past it by March 9, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 79% 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 12 days later, around November 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 11 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 249 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 67 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 9 days longer, to about April 6, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 66%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 22 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 9 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Jan 8 | Jan 20 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F66% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 10 |
| 24°F | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 6 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 26 |
| 16°F66% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Dunn 4 NW, 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 28334 →Compare Dunn with another place →
Weather by month in Dunn
July is the warmest month at Dunn 4 NW, NC, averaging 92°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,311 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,087) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 970. Precipitation totals 50.2 inches a year, most in July (5.9") 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 | 55 | 32 | 3.6 | 100% | 18 | 45 |
| Feb | 58 | 34 | 3.2 | 100% | 15 | 59 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 3.7 | 94% | 8 | 166 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 3.6 | 36% | 1 | 366 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 617 |
| Jun | 89 | 67 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Jul | 92 | 71 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 970 |
| Aug | 90 | 69 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 918 |
| Sep | 85 | 63 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 718 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 3.2 | 22% | 1 | 407 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 3.6 | 95% | 9 | 147 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 3.6 | 98% | 16 | 65 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Dunn 4 NW, NC (200 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, Lillington, NC, 14 miles northwest of Dunn, has a last frost 2 days later (March 30), a first frost 1 day earlier (November 6), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Dunn, 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, 5.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28334
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 17 – January 31 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 31 – February 14 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 28 – March 14 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 28 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 28334 is 5 miles from Dunn 4 NW, NC, which stands at 200 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28334 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.