USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28387 — Southern Pines, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Carthage Wtp, NC (440 ft), 11 miles north.
Updated
In Southern Pines, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 19 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 5, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 219 days (NOAA, Carthage Wtp, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 219 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
- 37%
- Snow per year
- 1.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 19 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Southern Pines
Half of springs at Carthage Wtp, NC see their last 32°F night by April 1; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 19. Planting tender crops after April 9 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 19 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 80% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 5 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 19 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 5, 14 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 219 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 242 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 one year in ten. On average 62 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 14, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 85%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 9 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 22 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 20 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 11 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F85% of yrs | Jan 3 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 19 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 25 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 19 | Dec 25 | Dec 31 | Jan 6 | Jan 15 |
| 16°F85% of yrs | Dec 9 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 21 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Carthage Wtp, 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 28387 →Compare Southern Pines with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Jackson Springs 5 WNW, NC, 16 miles west of Southern Pines and 290 feet higher, has a last frost 7 days earlier (March 25), a first frost 9 days later (November 14), a season 16 days longer.
When it snows in Southern Pines, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 19 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Carthage Wtp, NC, 10.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28387
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 21 – February 4 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 4 – February 18 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 4 – March 18 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 1 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 13 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 22 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 5 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 28387 is 11 miles from Carthage Wtp, NC, which stands at 440 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 5 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28326 (Cameron). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28387 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.