USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28351 — Laurel Hill, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Laurinburg, NC (210 ft), 8 miles southeast.
Updated
In Laurel Hill, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 21 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 November 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 239 days (NOAA, Laurinburg, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 21
- First fall frost
- November 14
- Growing season
- 239 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
- 1.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
9 of 30 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Laurel Hill
Half of springs at Laurinburg, NC see their last 32°F night by March 21; only one in ten is past it by March 2, and one in ten still has one after April 10. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 10 10%. The 20 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 97% 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 November 1 one year in ten, and holds off past December 4 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 27; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 30, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 239 days in a typical year, longer than at 92% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 267 days one year in ten and falls short of 215 one year in ten. On average 56 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 14 days longer, to about April 4, and return around November 2. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 48%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 8 | Feb 18 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 | Mar 30 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 13 |
| 20°F85% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 16 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F48% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 |
| 32°F | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 4 |
| 28°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 28 | Jan 4 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F85% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 30 |
| 16°F48% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Laurinburg, 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 28351 →Compare Laurel Hill with another place →
Weather by month in Laurel Hill
July is the warmest month at Laurinburg, NC, averaging 93°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 33°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from December to February (a 90% chance or more). From May to October the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 88% of years and April still brings one in 28% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,683 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 98% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,288) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 1,004. Precipitation totals 46.7 inches a year, most in September (5.5") and least in April (3.0"); May to September bring 50% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 33 | 3.6 | 100% | 17 | 53 |
| Feb | 59 | 36 | 3.3 | 97% | 12 | 74 |
| Mar | 67 | 42 | 3.4 | 88% | 6 | 200 |
| Apr | 77 | 50 | 3.0 | 28% | 1 | 408 |
| May | 84 | 60 | 3.5 | 0% | 0 | 682 |
| Jun | 90 | 68 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 872 |
| Jul | 93 | 72 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 1004 |
| Aug | 91 | 70 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 946 |
| Sep | 86 | 65 | 5.5 | 0% | 0 | 750 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 3.2 | 8% | <1 | 447 |
| Nov | 66 | 42 | 3.2 | 83% | 6 | 174 |
| Dec | 58 | 36 | 3.6 | 98% | 14 | 75 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Laurinburg, NC (210 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, 8 miles south of Laurel Hill, has a last frost 5 days later (March 26), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 8), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Laurel Hill, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 9 of 30 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Laurinburg, NC, 7.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28351
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 10 – January 24 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 24 – February 7 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 21 – March 7 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 21 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 28351 is 8 miles from Laurinburg, NC, which stands at 210 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 28352 (Laurinburg). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28351 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.