USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28574 — Richlands, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Richlands, NC (20 ft), 4 miles northeast.
Updated
In Richlands, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 in half of years and has passed by April 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 24 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 214 days (NOAA, Richlands, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 214 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 Richlands
Half of springs at Richlands, NC see their last 32°F night by April 5; only one in ten is past it by March 19, and one in ten still has one after April 20. Planting tender crops after April 10 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 14 20%, and after April 20 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 4 in half of years, as early as October 24 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 16; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 9, 11 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 214 days in a typical year, shorter than at 55% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 236 days one year in ten and falls short of 194 one year in ten. On average 69 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 15, and return around October 28. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 81%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 30 |
| 32°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 28°F | Mar 2 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 |
| 24°F | Feb 8 | Feb 21 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 22 | Mar 31 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 16 | Jan 29 | Feb 4 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 1 | Mar 6 | Mar 13 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Jan 2 | Jan 11 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 31 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 19 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 16 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 8 |
| 32°F | Oct 24 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 2 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 16 | Nov 19 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 |
| 24°F | Nov 11 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 | Dec 28 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Nov 24 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 15 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 10 | Jan 21 |
| 16°F81% of yrs | Dec 10 | Dec 20 | Dec 29 | Jan 3 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 24 | Feb 2 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Richlands, 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 28574 →Compare Richlands with another place →
Weather by month in Richlands
July is the warmest month at Richlands, NC, averaging 90°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 54°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 63% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,901 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), more than at 63% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,886) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 891. Precipitation totals 55.4 inches a year, most in August (7.6") and least in January (2.8"); May to September bring 55% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54 | 32 | 2.8 | 100% | 18 | 50 |
| Feb | 57 | 33 | 3.7 | 99% | 14 | 63 |
| Mar | 65 | 39 | 3.8 | 96% | 10 | 146 |
| Apr | 73 | 46 | 3.9 | 63% | 2 | 303 |
| May | 80 | 56 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 558 |
| Jun | 87 | 64 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 766 |
| Jul | 90 | 68 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 891 |
| Aug | 88 | 67 | 7.6 | 0% | 0 | 852 |
| Sep | 83 | 62 | 6.8 | 0% | 0 | 670 |
| Oct | 74 | 51 | 3.6 | 29% | 1 | 392 |
| Nov | 64 | 39 | 3.5 | 99% | 9 | 136 |
| Dec | 57 | 34 | 3.9 | 99% | 15 | 73 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Richlands, 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, Jacksonville Eoc, NC, 12 miles southeast of Richlands, has a last frost 5 days earlier (March 31), a first frost 4 days later (November 8), a season 10 days longer.
When it snows in Richlands, 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, 15.7 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28574
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 12 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 21 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 4 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 28574 is 4 miles from Richlands, NC, which stands at 20 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 28574 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.