USDA Hardiness Zone 8b
Frost Dates for 28562 — New Bern, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Perrytown, NC (28 ft), 3 miles south.
Updated
In New Bern, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 20 in half of years and has passed by April 5 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 20, as early as November 5 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 246 days (NOAA, Perrytown, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 20
- First fall frost
- November 20
- Growing season
- 246 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
- 18%
- Snow per year
- 1.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
4 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in New Bern
Half of springs at Perrytown, 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 5. Planting tender crops after March 27 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after March 31 20%, and after April 5 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 20 in half of years, as early as November 5 one year in ten, and holds off past December 13 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 16 days later, around December 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 23, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 246 days in a typical year, longer than at 95% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 273 days one year in ten and falls short of 222 one year in ten. On average 44 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 1, and return around November 7. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 96% of winters and 16°F in 35%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 11 | Apr 17 |
| 32°F | Feb 28 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 5 |
| 28°F | Feb 6 | Feb 18 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 23 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Jan 15 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 15 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 |
| 20°F73% of yrs | Dec 31 | Jan 10 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 30 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 27 |
| 16°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 23 |
| 32°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 20 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 13 |
| 28°F | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 13 | Dec 22 | Dec 31 | Jan 7 |
| 24°F96% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 16 | Jan 26 |
| 20°F73% of yrs | Dec 13 | Dec 24 | Dec 31 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 14 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Feb 4 |
| 16°F35% of yrs | too rare for a date | ||||||||
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Perrytown, 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 28562 →Compare New Bern with another place →
Weather by month in New Bern
July is the warmest month at Perrytown, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 72°F at night; January is the coldest at 56°F and 35°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 88% of years and April still brings one in 18% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 5,364 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 89% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 39% of them (2,090) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 930. Precipitation totals 57.2 inches a year, most in August (7.5") and least in March (3.4"); May to September bring 54% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56 | 35 | 4.0 | 100% | 14 | 70 |
| Feb | 59 | 37 | 3.5 | 97% | 11 | 84 |
| Mar | 65 | 42 | 3.4 | 88% | 5 | 172 |
| Apr | 74 | 51 | 3.7 | 18% | <1 | 370 |
| May | 79 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 598 |
| Jun | 86 | 67 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 796 |
| Jul | 88 | 72 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 930 |
| Aug | 87 | 70 | 7.5 | 0% | 0 | 885 |
| Sep | 82 | 66 | 7.3 | 0% | 0 | 717 |
| Oct | 75 | 54 | 4.0 | 2% | <1 | 447 |
| Nov | 66 | 44 | 3.5 | 73% | 4 | 194 |
| Dec | 59 | 39 | 4.1 | 93% | 10 | 101 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Perrytown, NC (28 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, New Bern Craven Co Airport, NC, 3 miles southeast of New Bern, has a last frost 3 days later (March 23), a first frost 5 days earlier (November 15), a season 9 days shorter.
When it snows in New Bern, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 4 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Bayboro 3 SW, NC, 16.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28562
| 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 28 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by November 6 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 20 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 28562 is 3 miles from Perrytown, NC, which stands at 28 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28562 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.