USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28513 — Ayden, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Greenville, NC (32 ft), 12 miles north.
Updated
In Ayden, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 27 in half of years and has passed by April 10 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 26 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 227 days (NOAA, Greenville, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 27
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 227 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
- 13%
- Snow per year
- 0.7"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 23 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Ayden
Half of springs at Greenville, NC see their last 32°F night by March 27; only one in ten is past it by March 8, and one in ten still has one after April 10. Planting tender crops after April 2 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 5 20%, and after April 10 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 8 in half of years, as early as October 26 one year in ten, and holds off past November 24 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 14 days later, around November 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 31, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 227 days in a typical year, longer than at 72% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 248 days one year in ten and falls short of 206 one year in ten. On average 54 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 12 days longer, to about April 8, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 67%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 28°F | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 25 | Mar 31 |
| 24°F | Feb 1 | Feb 11 | Feb 18 | Feb 23 | Feb 27 | Mar 2 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Jan 9 | Jan 19 | Jan 28 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 14 | Feb 20 | Feb 25 | Mar 4 |
| 16°F67% of yrs | Dec 30 | Jan 8 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 11 | Feb 19 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 |
| 32°F | Oct 26 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 22 | Nov 26 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 |
| 24°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 13 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 7 |
| 20°F95% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 10 | Dec 18 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 3 | Jan 8 | Jan 16 | Jan 25 |
| 16°F67% of yrs | Dec 14 | Dec 27 | Jan 2 | Jan 6 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Greenville, 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 28513 →Compare Ayden with another place →
Weather by month in Ayden
July is the warmest month at Greenville, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 53°F and 33°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 36% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,265 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 86% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,066) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 956. Precipitation totals 53.5 inches a year, most in September (7.3") and least in February (3.4"); May to September bring 52% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 53 | 33 | 3.9 | 100% | 16 | 49 |
| Feb | 57 | 35 | 3.4 | 100% | 12 | 62 |
| Mar | 64 | 41 | 4.2 | 93% | 6 | 165 |
| Apr | 74 | 50 | 3.8 | 36% | <1 | 362 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 4.0 | 0% | 0 | 609 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 819 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 5.9 | 0% | 0 | 956 |
| Aug | 88 | 70 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 901 |
| Sep | 83 | 64 | 7.3 | 0% | 0 | 709 |
| Oct | 74 | 52 | 3.6 | 21% | <1 | 409 |
| Nov | 64 | 41 | 3.4 | 93% | 6 | 154 |
| Dec | 56 | 35 | 3.6 | 98% | 13 | 70 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Greenville, NC (32 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, Snow Hill Waste Water Treament, NC, 14 miles west of Ayden, has a last frost 1 day earlier (March 26), a first frost 4 days later (November 12), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Ayden, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 23 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Kinston Ag Rsch, NC, 14.4 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28513
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 16 – January 30 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 30 – February 13 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 27 – March 13 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 27 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 28513 is 12 miles from Greenville, NC, which stands at 32 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 27858 (Greenville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28513 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.