USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28444 — Harrells, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Willard 4 SW, NC (55 ft), 16 miles east.
Updated
In Harrells, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 2 in half of years and has passed by April 16 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 217 days (NOAA, Willard 4 SW, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 2
- First fall frost
- November 5
- Growing season
- 217 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
- 35%
- Snow per year
- 0.8"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Harrells
Half of springs at Willard 4 SW, NC see their last 32°F night by April 2; only one in ten is past it by March 15, and one in ten still has one after April 16. Planting tender crops after April 8 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 12 20%, and after April 16 10%. The 14 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 79% 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 21 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, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 217 days in a typical year, shorter than at 50% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 240 days one year in ten and falls short of 195 one year in ten. On average 49 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 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 78%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 32°F | Mar 15 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 |
| 24°F | Feb 4 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 25 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 12 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 10 |
| 16°F78% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 19 | Jan 25 | Jan 29 | Jan 31 | Feb 6 | Feb 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 15 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 21 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Jan 1 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 18 |
| 16°F78% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 17 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Willard 4 SW, 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 28444 →Compare Harrells with another place →
Weather by month in Harrells
July is the warmest month at Willard 4 SW, NC, averaging 89°F by day and 69°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 32°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 55% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,999 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 69% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (1,968) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 888. Precipitation totals 55.8 inches a year, most in August (7.1") and least in February (3.2"); May to September bring 53% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 3.9 | 100% | 14 | 48 |
| Feb | 59 | 35 | 3.2 | 100% | 11 | 63 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 3.7 | 95% | 5 | 169 |
| Apr | 75 | 48 | 4.0 | 55% | 1 | 345 |
| May | 81 | 56 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 575 |
| Jun | 87 | 65 | 5.4 | 0% | 0 | 768 |
| Jul | 89 | 69 | 6.3 | 0% | 0 | 888 |
| Aug | 87 | 67 | 7.1 | 0% | 0 | 848 |
| Sep | 82 | 62 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 666 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 4.3 | 29% | 1 | 395 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.4 | 94% | 5 | 158 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 3.6 | 99% | 13 | 77 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Willard 4 SW, NC (55 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, Elizabethtown, NC, 17 miles west of Harrells, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 29), a first frost 3 days later (November 8), a season 9 days longer.
When it snows in Harrells, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Willard 4 SW, NC, 15.9 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28444
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 22 – February 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 5 – February 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 2 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 28444 is 16 miles from Willard 4 SW, NC, which stands at 55 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 28425 (Burgaw). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28444 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.