USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28420 — Ash, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Longwood, NC (40 ft), 6 miles southwest.
Updated
In Ash, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 11 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 231 days (NOAA, Longwood, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 11
- Growing season
- 231 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
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 0.5"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ash
Half of springs at Longwood, NC see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 3, and one in ten still has one after April 11. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 6 20%, and after April 11 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 11 in half of years, as early as October 29 one year in ten, and holds off past December 1 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 31, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 231 days in a typical year, longer than at 81% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 258 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 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 11 days longer, to about April 6, and return around November 1. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 44%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 3 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 |
| 28°F | Feb 14 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 21 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 17 |
| 20°F85% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 12 | Feb 22 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 20 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 16 |
| 32°F | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Dec 1 |
| 28°F | Nov 6 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 21 |
| 24°F | Nov 18 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 13 |
| 20°F85% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F44% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Longwood, 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 28420 →Compare Ash with another place →
Weather by month in Ash
July is the warmest month at Longwood, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 34°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 87% of years and April still brings one in 35% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,297 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 86% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,058) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 933. Precipitation totals 57.2 inches a year, most in September (7.5") and least in April (3.4"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 34 | 3.7 | 100% | 16 | 64 |
| Feb | 59 | 36 | 3.6 | 99% | 12 | 70 |
| Mar | 65 | 42 | 3.8 | 87% | 7 | 178 |
| Apr | 73 | 50 | 3.4 | 35% | 1 | 350 |
| May | 80 | 59 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 600 |
| Jun | 85 | 68 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 796 |
| Jul | 88 | 72 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 933 |
| Aug | 87 | 71 | 7.4 | 0% | 0 | 890 |
| Sep | 82 | 65 | 7.5 | 0% | 0 | 715 |
| Oct | 74 | 53 | 5.1 | 16% | 1 | 431 |
| Nov | 66 | 43 | 3.7 | 87% | 6 | 180 |
| Dec | 59 | 37 | 3.9 | 97% | 13 | 90 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Longwood, NC (40 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, Shallotte Ag, NC, 11 miles southeast of Ash, has a last frost 6 days earlier (March 20), a first frost 6 days later (November 17), a season 12 days longer.
When it snows in Ash, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Longwood, NC, 5.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28420
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 15 – January 29 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 29 – February 12 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 26 – March 12 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 26 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 28420 is 6 miles from Longwood, NC, which stands at 40 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28467 (Calabash). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28420 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.