USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28364 — Maxton, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Laurinburg Maxton Airport, NC (220 ft), 5 miles northwest.
Updated
In Maxton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 25 in half of years and has passed by April 11 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 228 days (NOAA, Laurinburg Maxton Airport, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 25
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 228 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 Maxton
Half of springs at Laurinburg Maxton Airport, NC see their last 32°F night by March 25; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 11 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 65% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 8 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 228 days in a typical year, longer than at 76% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 253 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 one year in ten. On average 58 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 12 days longer, to about April 6, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 57%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 21 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Jan 23 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 20 | Mar 1 |
| 16°F57% of yrs | Dec 25 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 19 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 13 |
| 24°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F90% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 23 |
| 16°F57% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 12 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Laurinburg Maxton Airport, 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 28364 →Compare Maxton with another place →
Weather by month in Maxton
July is the warmest month at Laurinburg Maxton Airport, NC, averaging 92°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 34°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 33% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,596 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 96% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 40% of them (2,247) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 993. Precipitation totals 40.3 inches a year, most in September (4.9") and least in February (2.6"); 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 | 34 | 3.1 | 100% | 17 | 62 |
| Feb | 59 | 36 | 2.6 | 99% | 12 | 80 |
| Mar | 67 | 42 | 3.3 | 91% | 6 | 194 |
| Apr | 76 | 50 | 2.7 | 33% | 1 | 395 |
| May | 83 | 59 | 3.3 | 0% | 0 | 656 |
| Jun | 89 | 68 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 861 |
| Jul | 92 | 72 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 993 |
| Aug | 90 | 70 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 936 |
| Sep | 85 | 64 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 733 |
| Oct | 76 | 52 | 2.7 | 20% | 1 | 437 |
| Nov | 66 | 41 | 2.9 | 93% | 7 | 166 |
| Dec | 58 | 36 | 2.9 | 98% | 14 | 84 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Laurinburg Maxton Airport, NC (220 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, Laurinburg, NC, 8 miles west of Maxton, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 21), a first frost 6 days later (November 14), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Maxton, 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, 7.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28364
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 14 – January 28 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 28 – February 11 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 25 – March 11 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 25 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 28364 is 5 miles from Laurinburg Maxton Airport, NC, which stands at 220 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 28364 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.