USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28357 — Lumber Bridge, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Raeford, NC (250 ft), 10 miles northwest.
Updated
In Lumber Bridge, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 3 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 3, as early as October 20 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 214 days (NOAA, Raeford, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 3
- First fall frost
- November 3
- Growing season
- 214 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
- 10%
- Snow per year
- 0.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
2 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Lumber Bridge
Half of springs at Raeford, NC see their last 32°F night by April 3; only one in ten is past it by March 17, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 15 20%, and after April 19 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 3 in half of years, as early as October 20 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 13; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 8, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 214 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 235 days one year in ten and falls short of 196 one year in ten. On average 82 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 13 days longer, to about April 16, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 89%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 1 |
| 32°F | Mar 17 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Mar 1 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 24°F | Feb 14 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 29 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 28 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 16 |
| 16°F89% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 16 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 12 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 20 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 |
| 24°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 12 | Dec 26 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 19 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
| 16°F89% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 21 | Feb 3 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Raeford, 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 28357 →Compare Lumber Bridge with another place →
Weather by month in Lumber Bridge
July is the warmest month at Raeford, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 30°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 60% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,813 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,862) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 910. Precipitation totals 48.8 inches a year, most in September (5.3") and least in April (3.2"); May to September bring 49% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 30 | 3.7 | 100% | 21 | 36 |
| Feb | 57 | 31 | 3.7 | 100% | 18 | 39 |
| Mar | 65 | 38 | 3.9 | 96% | 11 | 141 |
| Apr | 74 | 47 | 3.2 | 60% | 2 | 314 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 558 |
| Jun | 86 | 65 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 774 |
| Jul | 90 | 69 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 910 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 862 |
| Sep | 83 | 61 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 661 |
| Oct | 73 | 49 | 3.3 | 38% | 1 | 349 |
| Nov | 64 | 38 | 3.6 | 97% | 11 | 120 |
| Dec | 56 | 33 | 3.6 | 99% | 19 | 50 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Raeford, NC (250 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, Fayetteville Regional Airport, NC, 13 miles northeast of Lumber Bridge, has a last frost 12 days earlier (March 22), a first frost 10 days later (November 13), a season 22 days longer.
When it snows in Lumber Bridge, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 2 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Red Springs 1 SE, NC, 7.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28357
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 23 – February 6 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 6 – February 20 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 6 – March 20 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 3 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 11 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 20 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 3 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 28357 is 10 miles from Raeford, NC, which stands at 250 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28376 (Raeford). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28357 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.