USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28466 — Wallace, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Wallace 1SE, NC (35 ft), under a mile southwest.
Updated
In Wallace, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 1 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 7, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 220 days (NOAA, Wallace 1SE, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 1
- First fall frost
- November 7
- Growing season
- 220 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 Wallace
Half of springs at Wallace 1SE, 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 16. Planting tender crops after April 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 11 20%, and after April 16 10%. The 15 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 57% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 7 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 13 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 6, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 220 days in a typical year, longer than at 55% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 245 days one year in ten and falls short of 199 one year in ten. On average 71 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 10 days longer, to about April 11, and return around October 30. 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 27 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 24°F | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 18 | Mar 27 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 3 | Feb 8 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F78% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 9 | Jan 16 | Jan 21 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 7 | Feb 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 12 |
| 24°F | Nov 16 | Nov 22 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 5 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 |
| 16°F78% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 19 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 16 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Wallace 1SE, 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 28466 →Compare Wallace with another place →
Weather by month in Wallace
July is the warmest month at Wallace 1SE, NC, averaging 91°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°F and 31°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 51% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,230 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 83% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (2,008) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 944. Precipitation totals 57.2 inches a year, most in September (7.3") and least in January (3.6"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55 | 31 | 3.6 | 100% | 20 | 56 |
| Feb | 59 | 33 | 3.8 | 100% | 15 | 66 |
| Mar | 66 | 39 | 4.2 | 95% | 10 | 158 |
| Apr | 75 | 47 | 4.4 | 51% | 1 | 337 |
| May | 81 | 57 | 4.7 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Jun | 88 | 66 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 799 |
| Jul | 91 | 70 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 944 |
| Aug | 89 | 69 | 6.8 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 7.3 | 0% | 0 | 720 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 3.7 | 23% | 1 | 423 |
| Nov | 66 | 40 | 3.7 | 93% | 8 | 158 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 3.8 | 98% | 16 | 80 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Wallace 1SE, NC (35 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, Willard 4 SW, NC, 7 miles southwest of Wallace, has a last frost 1 day later (April 2), a first frost 2 days earlier (November 5), a season 3 days shorter.
When it snows in Wallace, 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, 6.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28466
| 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 15 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 24 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 7 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 28466 is under a mile from Wallace 1SE, NC, which stands at 35 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28466 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.