USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28340 — Fairmont, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lumber Rvr Sp, NC (96 ft), 9 miles southeast.
Updated
In Fairmont, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 219 days (NOAA, Lumber Rvr Sp, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 219 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
- 12%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 17 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Fairmont
Half of springs at Lumber Rvr Sp, NC see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 12, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 16 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 5 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 219 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 244 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 64 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 10 days longer, to about April 11, and return around October 28. 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 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 |
| 32°F | Mar 12 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 24 | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 3 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 17 | Mar 26 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Jan 11 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Mar 2 | Mar 12 |
| 16°F74% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 25 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 |
| 20°F96% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F74% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lumber Rvr Sp, 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 28340 →Compare Fairmont with another place →
Weather by month in Fairmont
July is the warmest month at Lumber Rvr Sp, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 69°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 50% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,064 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 73% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,999) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 907.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 32 | 100% | 19 | 59 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 100% | 13 | 69 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 95% | 7 | 160 |
| Apr | 74 | 47 | 50% | 1 | 327 |
| May | 80 | 58 | 0% | 0 | 594 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 0% | 0 | 790 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Aug | 88 | 69 | 0% | 0 | 882 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 0% | 0 | 678 |
| Oct | 74 | 50 | 29% | 1 | 375 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 93% | 9 | 146 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 99% | 14 | 78 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lumber Rvr Sp, NC (96 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, Lumberton Municipal Airport, NC, 10 miles northeast of Fairmont, has a last frost 8 days earlier (March 24), a first frost 5 days later (November 10), a season 14 days longer.
When it snows in Fairmont, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 17 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Lumberton, NC, 12 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28340
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 28340 is 9 miles from Lumber Rvr Sp, NC, which stands at 96 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28340 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.