USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28601 — Hickory, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Hickory Faa Airport, NC (1,143 ft), 3 miles southwest.
Updated
In Hickory, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 31 in half of years and has passed by April 16 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 4, as early as October 22 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 219 days (NOAA, Hickory Faa Airport, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 31
- First fall frost
- November 4
- Growing season
- 219 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Hickory
Half of springs at Hickory Faa Airport, 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 16. Planting tender crops after April 5 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 9 20%, and after April 16 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 4 in half of years, as early as October 22 one year in ten, and holds off past November 18 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 11 days later, around November 15; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 3, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 219 days in a typical year, longer than at 52% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 241 days one year in ten and falls short of 198 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 13 days longer, to about April 13, and return around October 26. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 84%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 29 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 16 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 29 |
| 32°F | Mar 13 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 9 | Apr 16 |
| 28°F | Feb 26 | Mar 6 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 18 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 3 |
| 24°F | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 24 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 9 | Mar 13 | Mar 17 | Mar 24 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Jan 18 | Jan 28 | Feb 2 | Feb 8 | Feb 15 | Feb 23 | Mar 1 | Mar 7 | Mar 15 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Jan 4 | Jan 12 | Jan 18 | Jan 25 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 21 | Mar 4 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 13 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 6 |
| 32°F | Oct 22 | Oct 26 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 18 |
| 28°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 5 |
| 24°F | Nov 12 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 8 | Dec 14 | Dec 24 |
| 20°F99% of yrs | Nov 27 | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 15 |
| 16°F84% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 20 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 5 | Jan 10 | Jan 14 | Jan 20 | Feb 1 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Hickory Faa Airport, 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 28601 →Compare Hickory with another place →
Weather by month in Hickory
July is the warmest month at Hickory Faa Airport, NC, averaging 87°F by day and 68°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 30°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 47% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,412 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 63% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,697) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 860. Precipitation totals 47.3 inches a year, most in August (4.6") and least in February (3.2"); May to September bring 45% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 30 | 3.8 | 100% | 19 | 17 |
| Feb | 53 | 33 | 3.2 | 100% | 15 | 29 |
| Mar | 61 | 40 | 4.1 | 96% | 8 | 117 |
| Apr | 70 | 48 | 4.1 | 47% | 1 | 283 |
| May | 77 | 56 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 521 |
| Jun | 84 | 64 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 730 |
| Jul | 87 | 68 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 860 |
| Aug | 86 | 67 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 817 |
| Sep | 80 | 61 | 3.9 | 0% | 0 | 611 |
| Oct | 70 | 49 | 3.5 | 37% | 1 | 309 |
| Nov | 60 | 39 | 3.6 | 99% | 8 | 91 |
| Dec | 52 | 33 | 3.9 | 100% | 17 | 28 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Hickory Faa Airport, NC (1,143 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, Catawba 5 SW, NC, 13 miles southeast of Hickory, has a last frost 7 days earlier (March 24), a first frost 4 days later (November 8), a season 11 days longer.
When it snows in Hickory, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 20 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Rhodhiss Hydro Plt, NC, 6.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28601
| 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 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 28601 is 3 miles from Hickory Faa Airport, NC, which stands at 1,143 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 28601 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.