USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28358 — Lumberton, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Lumberton, NC (112 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Lumberton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 8 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 11, as early as October 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 234 days (NOAA, Lumberton, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 234 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 Lumberton
Half of springs at Lumberton, NC see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 2, and one in ten still has one after April 8. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 8 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 11 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past December 2 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 25; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 30, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 234 days in a typical year, longer than at 87% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 261 days one year in ten and falls short of 211 one year in ten. On average 55 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 3, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 99% of winters and 16°F in 44%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 2 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 8 |
| 28°F | Feb 12 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 30 | Feb 4 | Feb 10 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 16 |
| 20°F83% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 17 | Feb 28 |
| 16°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Dec 2 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 22 |
| 24°F99% of yrs | Nov 16 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 5 | Jan 14 |
| 20°F83% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 |
| 16°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Lumberton, 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 28358 →Compare Lumberton with another place →
Weather by month in Lumberton
July is the warmest month at Lumberton, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°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 September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, March still brings one in 89% of years and April still brings one in 27% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,332 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 88% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,094) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 963. Precipitation totals 50.8 inches a year, most in August (6.2") and least in November (3.2"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 33 | 3.7 | 100% | 16 | 52 |
| Feb | 58 | 35 | 3.4 | 99% | 12 | 63 |
| Mar | 65 | 41 | 3.6 | 89% | 6 | 173 |
| Apr | 74 | 49 | 3.4 | 27% | 1 | 359 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 619 |
| Jun | 88 | 68 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 828 |
| Jul | 91 | 71 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 963 |
| Aug | 89 | 70 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 907 |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 717 |
| Oct | 75 | 52 | 3.4 | 15% | <1 | 419 |
| Nov | 65 | 41 | 3.2 | 85% | 6 | 162 |
| Dec | 57 | 36 | 3.6 | 98% | 13 | 72 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Lumberton, NC (112 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, 4 miles west of Lumberton, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 1 day earlier (November 10), a season 1 day shorter.
When it snows in Lumberton, 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, 2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28358
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 19 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 28 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 11 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 28358 is 2 miles from Lumberton, NC, which stands at 112 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28358 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.