USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28546 — Jacksonville, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Jacksonville Eoc, NC (17 ft), 2 miles northwest.
Updated
In Jacksonville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 15 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 224 days (NOAA, Jacksonville Eoc, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 224 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
- 17%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
3 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Jacksonville
Half of springs at Jacksonville Eoc, NC see their last 32°F night by March 31; only one in ten is past it by March 13, and one in ten still has one after April 15. Planting tender crops after April 6 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 15 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 8 in half of years, as early as October 27 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 21; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 12 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 248 days one year in ten and falls short of 205 one year in ten. On average 63 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 9 days longer, to about April 9, and return around October 31. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 68%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 25 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 15 |
| 28°F | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Feb 3 | Feb 13 | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 20 | Jan 29 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 8 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 10 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 26 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 8 | Feb 21 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 |
| 28°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 4 | Dec 13 |
| 24°F | Nov 16 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 11 | Dec 21 | Dec 30 | Jan 8 |
| 20°F94% of yrs | Nov 30 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Feb 1 |
| 16°F68% of yrs | Dec 18 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 6 | Jan 11 | Jan 14 | Jan 19 | Jan 26 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Jacksonville Eoc, 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 28546 →Compare Jacksonville with another place →
Weather by month in Jacksonville
July is the warmest month at Jacksonville Eoc, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 71°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°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 46% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,312 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 87% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,068) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 947.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 32 | 100% | 17 | 62 |
| Feb | 59 | 34 | 100% | 13 | 71 |
| Mar | 66 | 40 | 94% | 10 | 163 |
| Apr | 75 | 49 | 46% | 1 | 360 |
| May | 81 | 59 | 0% | 0 | 606 |
| Jun | 87 | 67 | 0% | 0 | 807 |
| Jul | 90 | 71 | 0% | 0 | 947 |
| Aug | 88 | 70 | 0% | 0 | 897 |
| Sep | 84 | 64 | 0% | 0 | 715 |
| Oct | 76 | 51 | 21% | 1 | 422 |
| Nov | 67 | 41 | 94% | 7 | 171 |
| Dec | 60 | 36 | 98% | 14 | 91 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Jacksonville Eoc, NC (17 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, Hofmann Forest, NC, 6 miles northeast of Jacksonville, has a last frost 6 days later (April 6), a first frost 7 days earlier (November 1), a season 20 days shorter.
When it snows in Jacksonville, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 3 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Hofmann Forest, NC, 5.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28546
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 20 – February 3 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 3 – February 17 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 3 – March 17 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 31 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 28546 is 2 miles from Jacksonville Eoc, NC, which stands at 17 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station; its figures are presented in full for 28540 (Jacksonville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28546 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.