USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28449 — Kure Beach, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Southport 5 N, NC (20 ft), 6 miles west.
Updated
In Kure Beach, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 17, as early as October 31 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 239 days (NOAA, Southport 5 N, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 17
- Growing season
- 239 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
- 5%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
1 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Kure Beach
Half of springs at Southport 5 N, NC see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 1, and one in ten still has one after April 10. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 4 20%, and after April 10 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 17 in half of years, as early as October 31 one year in ten, and holds off past December 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around December 1; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 30, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 239 days in a typical year, longer than at 92% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 268 days one year in ten and falls short of 213 one year in ten. On average 51 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 4, and return around November 5. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 98% of winters and 16°F in 46%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 19 |
| 32°F | Mar 1 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 7 | Feb 19 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 9 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 31 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 27 | Mar 6 |
| 16°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 21 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Oct 31 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 |
| 28°F | Nov 10 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 30 |
| 24°F98% of yrs | Nov 26 | Dec 2 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 18 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 9 | Jan 21 |
| 20°F82% of yrs | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 17 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Feb 4 |
| 16°F46% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Southport 5 N, 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 28449 →Compare Kure Beach with another place →
Weather by month in Kure Beach
July is the warmest month at Southport 5 N, NC, averaging 92°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 60°F and 36°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 86% of years and April still brings one in 29% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,948 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the most of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,321) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 998. Precipitation totals 54.6 inches a year, most in September (8.2") and least in April (3.1"); May to September bring 51% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60 | 36 | 3.7 | 100% | 15 | 89 |
| Feb | 63 | 38 | 3.3 | 97% | 12 | 94 |
| Mar | 68 | 43 | 4.0 | 86% | 6 | 214 |
| Apr | 76 | 51 | 3.1 | 29% | 1 | 404 |
| May | 83 | 60 | 3.4 | 0% | 0 | 659 |
| Jun | 88 | 69 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 861 |
| Jul | 92 | 73 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 998 |
| Aug | 90 | 71 | 6.8 | 0% | 0 | 955 |
| Sep | 87 | 66 | 8.2 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Oct | 79 | 54 | 5.4 | 10% | <1 | 518 |
| Nov | 70 | 44 | 3.4 | 77% | 5 | 246 |
| Dec | 63 | 38 | 3.7 | 96% | 12 | 123 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Southport 5 N, NC (20 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, Wilmington 7 SE, NC, 11 miles north of Kure Beach, has a last frost 4 days earlier (March 20), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 15), a season 2 days longer.
When it snows in Kure Beach, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 1 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Southport 5 N, NC, 5.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28449
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 25 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 3 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 17 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 28449 is 6 miles from Southport 5 N, NC, which stands at 20 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 28461 (Southport). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28449 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.