USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28338 — Ellerbe, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jackson Springs 5 WNW, NC (730 ft), 7 miles northeast.
Updated
In Ellerbe, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 14, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 235 days (NOAA, Jackson Springs 5 WNW, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 14
- Growing season
- 235 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
- 40%
- Snow per year
- 3.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
8 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ellerbe
Half of springs at Jackson Springs 5 WNW, NC see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by March 6, and one in ten still has one after April 10. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 10 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 14 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 15 days later, around November 29; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 235 days in a typical year, longer than at 87% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 260 days one year in ten and falls short of 212 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 5, and return around November 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 70%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 6 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Jan 28 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 21 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F70% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 23 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 |
| 24°F | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 27 |
| 16°F70% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jackson Springs 5 WNW, 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 28338 →Compare Ellerbe with another place →
Weather by month in Ellerbe
July is the warmest month at Jackson Springs 5 WNW, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 52°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December 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 34% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,079 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 75% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,990) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 927. Precipitation totals 48.3 inches a year, most in September (5.3") and least in February (3.3"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 52 | 33 | 3.9 | 100% | 18 | 40 |
| Feb | 55 | 35 | 3.3 | 99% | 14 | 55 |
| Mar | 63 | 41 | 4.1 | 91% | 7 | 158 |
| Apr | 73 | 50 | 3.5 | 34% | 1 | 348 |
| May | 80 | 59 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 593 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 796 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 927 |
| Aug | 88 | 69 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 879 |
| Sep | 83 | 63 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 685 |
| Oct | 73 | 52 | 3.7 | 12% | <1 | 388 |
| Nov | 63 | 42 | 3.7 | 82% | 6 | 149 |
| Dec | 55 | 36 | 3.9 | 98% | 13 | 61 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Jackson Springs 5 WNW, NC (730 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, Hamlet, NC, 14 miles south of Ellerbe and 380 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days later (March 30), a first frost 10 days earlier (November 4), a season 15 days shorter.
When it snows in Ellerbe, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 8 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Jackson Springs 5 WNW, NC, 7.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28338
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 31 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 14 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 28338 is 7 miles from Jackson Springs 5 WNW, NC, which stands at 730 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28315 (Aberdeen). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28338 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.