USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28345 — Hamlet, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hamlet, NC (350 ft), under a mile north.
Updated
In Hamlet, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 30 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, Hamlet, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 30
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 220 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
- 30%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hamlet
Half of springs at Hamlet, NC see their last 32°F night by March 30; only one in ten is past it by March 14, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 15 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 4 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 20 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 220 days in a typical year, longer than at 55% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 242 days one year in ten and falls short of 197 one year in ten. On average 71 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 10, and return around October 27. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 78%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 26 |
| 32°F | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Feb 5 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 14 |
| 16°F78% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 8 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 21 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 20 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 30 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 23 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 10 | Jan 20 |
| 16°F78% of yrs | Dec 6 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Feb 4 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hamlet, 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 28345 →Compare Hamlet with another place →
Weather by month in Hamlet
July is the warmest month at Hamlet, NC, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°F and 33°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 44% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,489 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 92% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,218) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 986. Precipitation totals 49.6 inches a year, most in July (5.8") and least in April (3.2"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 33 | 3.7 | 100% | 19 | 49 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 3.3 | 99% | 15 | 66 |
| Mar | 66 | 42 | 3.7 | 96% | 9 | 188 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 3.2 | 44% | 1 | 405 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 3.5 | 1% | 0 | 653 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 856 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 986 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 723 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 3.8 | 34% | 1 | 413 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.5 | 95% | 10 | 149 |
| Dec | 57 | 35 | 3.8 | 99% | 17 | 68 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hamlet, NC (350 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, Mccoll 3 NNW, SC, 14 miles southeast of Hamlet and 160 feet lower, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 26), a first frost 4 days later (November 8), a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Hamlet, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hamlet, NC, 0.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28345
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 19 – February 2 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 2 – February 16 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 2 – March 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 28345 is under a mile from Hamlet, NC, which stands at 350 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 28379 (Rockingham). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28345 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.