USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28337 — Elizabethtown, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elizabethtown, NC (120 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Elizabethtown, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 13 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 226 days (NOAA, Elizabethtown, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 8
- 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
- 27%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elizabethtown
Half of springs at Elizabethtown, NC see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 13. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 13 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 8 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past November 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 19; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 2, 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 250 days one year in ten and falls short of 206 one year in ten. On average 62 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 7, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 74%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 13 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 2 |
| 24°F | Feb 6 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| 16°F74% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 24 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 27 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 | Jan 2 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 4 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 21 |
| 16°F74% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 2 | Jan 7 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elizabethtown, 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 28337 →Compare Elizabethtown with another place →
Weather by month in Elizabethtown
July is the warmest month at Elizabethtown, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°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 41% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,246 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 84% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,058) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 953.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 32 | 100% | 18 | 49 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 100% | 15 | 62 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 94% | 8 | 174 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 41% | 1 | 359 |
| May | 82 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 609 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 806 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 953 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 708 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 17% | 1 | 414 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 92% | 7 | 146 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 99% | 13 | 76 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Elizabethtown, NC (120 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, Whiteville 7 NW, NC, 20 miles southwest of Elizabethtown, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 2 days earlier (November 6), a season 2 days shorter.
When it snows in Elizabethtown, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Elizabethtown, NC, 2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28337
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 28337 is 2 miles from Elizabethtown, NC, which stands at 120 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28337 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.