USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28472 — Whiteville, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Whiteville 7 NW, NC (90 ft), 8 miles northwest.
Updated
In Whiteville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 29 in half of years and has passed by April 12 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 6, as early as October 25 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 224 days (NOAA, Whiteville 7 NW, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 29
- First fall frost
- November 6
- Growing season
- 224 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
- 27%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
7 of 26 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Whiteville
Half of springs at Whiteville 7 NW, NC see their last 32°F night by March 29; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 12. Planting tender crops after April 4 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 7 20%, and after April 12 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 6 in half of years, as early as October 25 one year in ten, and holds off past November 23 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 17; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 1, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 224 days in a typical year, longer than at 65% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 247 days one year in ten and falls short of 204 one year in ten. On average 59 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 8, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 60%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 24 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 |
| 28°F | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 10 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 |
| 24°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 22 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 12 | Mar 19 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 26 | Mar 5 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 29 | Jan 6 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 22 | Jan 28 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 16 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 10 |
| 32°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 23 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Dec 1 | Dec 9 |
| 24°F | Nov 13 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 | Jan 2 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Nov 25 | Dec 3 | Dec 11 | Dec 18 | Dec 25 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 14 | Jan 24 |
| 16°F60% of yrs | Dec 12 | Dec 23 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 18 | Jan 24 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Whiteville 7 NW, 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 28472 →Compare Whiteville with another place →
Weather by month in Whiteville
July is the warmest month at Whiteville 7 NW, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 70°F at night; January is the coldest at 55°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 40% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,114 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 77% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,000) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 924. Precipitation totals 50.8 inches a year, most in September (6.6") and least in November (3.2"); 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 | 32 | 3.5 | 100% | 17 | 49 |
| Feb | 58 | 34 | 3.3 | 99% | 13 | 55 |
| Mar | 65 | 40 | 3.7 | 93% | 7 | 168 |
| Apr | 74 | 48 | 3.5 | 40% | 1 | 343 |
| May | 81 | 58 | 4.2 | 0% | 0 | 592 |
| Jun | 87 | 66 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 793 |
| Jul | 90 | 70 | 5.3 | 0% | 0 | 924 |
| Aug | 88 | 68 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 874 |
| Sep | 84 | 63 | 6.6 | 0% | 0 | 691 |
| Oct | 75 | 51 | 3.5 | 25% | 1 | 402 |
| Nov | 65 | 40 | 3.2 | 94% | 7 | 151 |
| Dec | 58 | 35 | 3.5 | 99% | 14 | 71 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Whiteville 7 NW, NC (90 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, Lumber Rvr Sp, NC, 18 miles west of Whiteville, has a last frost 3 days later (April 1), a first frost 1 day earlier (November 5), a season 5 days shorter.
When it snows in Whiteville, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 7 of 26 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Elizabethtown, NC, 22.5 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28472
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 18 – February 1 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 1 – February 15 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 1 – March 15 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 29 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 14 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 23 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 6 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 28472 is 8 miles from Whiteville 7 NW, NC, which stands at 90 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28472 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.