USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28445 — Holly Ridge, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Surf City, NC (24 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
In Holly Ridge, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 26 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 13, as early as October 30 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 233 days (NOAA, Surf City, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 26
- First fall frost
- November 13
- Growing season
- 233 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
- 20%
- Snow per year
- 0.2"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Holly Ridge
Half of springs at Surf City, NC see their last 32°F night by March 26; only one in ten is past it by March 11, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after April 1 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 9 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 13 in half of years, as early as October 30 one year in ten, and holds off past December 3 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 26; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 233 days in a typical year, longer than at 85% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 259 days one year in ten and falls short of 212 one year in ten. On average 61 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 9 days longer, to about April 4, and return around November 3. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 66%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 20 |
| 32°F | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Jan 27 | Feb 5 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 21 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 14 | Jan 23 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 25 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F66% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 27 | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 20 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 19 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 32°F | Oct 30 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 3 |
| 28°F | Nov 7 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 20 |
| 24°F | Nov 19 | Nov 28 | Dec 2 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 24 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 |
| 20°F92% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 23 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 15 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F66% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 23 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Surf City, 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 28445 →Compare Holly Ridge with another place →
Weather by month in Holly Ridge
July is the warmest month at Surf City, NC, averaging 88°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 December 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 32% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,168 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 80% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,950) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 914.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 34 | 100% | 17 | 57 |
| Feb | 57 | 36 | 99% | 14 | 63 |
| Mar | 63 | 40 | 98% | 9 | 138 |
| Apr | 72 | 50 | 32% | 1 | 336 |
| May | 78 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 580 |
| Jun | 84 | 68 | 0% | 0 | 775 |
| Jul | 88 | 72 | 0% | 0 | 914 |
| Aug | 87 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 883 |
| Sep | 82 | 65 | 0% | 0 | 709 |
| Oct | 74 | 54 | 13% | 1 | 441 |
| Nov | 66 | 43 | 85% | 6 | 182 |
| Dec | 59 | 36 | 98% | 12 | 89 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Surf City, NC (24 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, New River Mcaf, NC, 18 miles northeast of Holly Ridge, has a last frost 3 days earlier (March 23), a first frost 3 days later (November 16), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Holly Ridge, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Wilmington 7 N, NC, 23.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28445
| 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 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 13 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 28445 is 2 miles from Surf City, NC, which stands at 24 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 28443 (Hampstead). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28445 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.