USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28470 — Shallotte, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Shallotte Ag, NC (20 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In Shallotte, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 4 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 17, as early as November 3 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 243 days (NOAA, Shallotte Ag, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 20
- First fall frost
- November 17
- Growing season
- 243 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 Shallotte
Half of springs at Shallotte Ag, NC see their last 32°F night by March 20; only one in ten is past it by February 28, and one in ten still has one after April 4. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 4 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 17 in half of years, as early as November 3 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 26, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 243 days in a typical year, longer than at 95% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 272 days one year in ten and falls short of 220 one year in ten. On average 37 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 March 31, and return around November 6. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 97% of winters and 16°F in 36%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 |
| 28°F | Feb 5 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Jan 14 | Jan 27 | Feb 2 | Feb 10 | Feb 19 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 15 |
| 20°F77% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Jan 29 | Feb 3 | Feb 13 | Feb 23 | Mar 3 |
| 16°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 24 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 |
| 32°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 6 |
| 28°F | Nov 12 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 22 | Jan 1 |
| 24°F97% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 5 | Jan 12 | Jan 22 |
| 20°F77% of yrs | Dec 8 | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 2 | Jan 8 | Jan 13 | Jan 18 | Jan 26 | Feb 5 |
| 16°F36% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Shallotte Ag, 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 28470 →Compare Shallotte with another place →
Weather by month in Shallotte
July is the warmest month at Shallotte Ag, NC, averaging 87°F by day and 73°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°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 October 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 18% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,453 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 91% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,122) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 934. Precipitation totals 56.7 inches a year, most in September (9.7") and least in April (3.5"); 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 | 36 | 3.8 | 100% | 12 | 68 |
| Feb | 58 | 39 | 3.6 | 95% | 9 | 77 |
| Mar | 65 | 44 | 4.2 | 86% | 5 | 187 |
| Apr | 72 | 53 | 3.5 | 18% | <1 | 378 |
| May | 78 | 62 | 3.8 | 0% | 0 | 618 |
| Jun | 84 | 69 | 4.5 | 0% | 0 | 793 |
| Jul | 87 | 73 | 5.2 | 0% | 0 | 934 |
| Aug | 86 | 72 | 6.9 | 0% | 0 | 896 |
| Sep | 82 | 67 | 9.7 | 0% | 0 | 739 |
| Oct | 74 | 56 | 4.2 | 4% | <1 | 472 |
| Nov | 65 | 45 | 3.6 | 81% | 3 | 190 |
| Dec | 59 | 39 | 3.7 | 95% | 8 | 99 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Shallotte Ag, 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, Longwood, NC, 10 miles west of Shallotte, has a last frost 6 days later (March 26), a first frost 6 days earlier (November 11), a season 12 days shorter.
When it snows in Shallotte, 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, 9.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28470
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 9 – January 23 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 23 – February 6 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 20 – March 6 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 20 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 28470 is 3 miles from Shallotte Ag, NC, which stands at 20 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 28462 (Supply). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28470 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.