USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 28604 — Banner Elk, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Banner Elk, NC (3,770 ft), 2 miles west.
Updated
In Banner Elk, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 30 in half of years and has passed by May 17 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as October 1 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 167 days (NOAA, Banner Elk, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 30
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 167 days
- Hardiness zone
- 6b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
-5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°C) coldest night
- First snow
- November 23
- Last snow
- March 31
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- 31.4"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
24 of 24 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Banner Elk
Half of springs at Banner Elk, NC see their last 32°F night by April 30; only one in ten is past it by April 12, and one in ten still has one after May 17. Planting tender crops after May 7 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 11 20%, and after May 17 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 65% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 14 in half of years, as early as October 1 one year in ten, and holds off past October 27 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 23; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 5, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 167 days in a typical year, shorter than at 97% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 188 days one year in ten and falls short of 146 one year in ten. On average 127 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 May 12, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 28 and March 12.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 27 | May 1 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 14 | May 18 | May 23 | May 27 |
| 32°F | Apr 12 | Apr 19 | Apr 23 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 3 | May 7 | May 11 | May 17 |
| 28°F | Mar 30 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 23 | Apr 28 | May 5 |
| 24°F | Mar 16 | Mar 22 | Mar 27 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 13 | Apr 20 |
| 20°F | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| 16°F | Feb 16 | Feb 27 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 26 | Mar 31 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 23 | Sep 27 | Sep 30 | Oct 2 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Oct 1 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 23 | Oct 27 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 15 | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 5 |
| 24°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 12 | Nov 19 |
| 20°F | Oct 31 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 17 | Nov 21 | Nov 26 | Dec 2 |
| 16°F | Nov 8 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 28 | Dec 1 | Dec 4 | Dec 10 | Dec 20 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Banner Elk, 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 28604 →Compare Banner Elk with another place →
Weather by month in Banner Elk
July is the warmest month at Banner Elk, NC, averaging 77°F by day and 59°F at night; January is the coldest at 40°F and 22°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to September the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 48% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 2,395 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 98% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 35% of them (830) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 552. Precipitation totals 53.8 inches a year, most in July (5.7") and least in November (3.3"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 22 | 4.6 | 100% | 25 | 2 |
| Feb | 44 | 24 | 3.7 | 100% | 22 | 5 |
| Mar | 50 | 30 | 4.9 | 100% | 19 | 23 |
| Apr | 60 | 39 | 4.8 | 99% | 9 | 98 |
| May | 68 | 47 | 5.1 | 48% | 1 | 260 |
| Jun | 74 | 56 | 5.1 | 0% | 0 | 443 |
| Jul | 77 | 59 | 5.7 | 0% | 0 | 552 |
| Aug | 76 | 57 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 521 |
| Sep | 71 | 52 | 4.6 | 7% | 1 | 346 |
| Oct | 62 | 40 | 3.4 | 95% | 7 | 116 |
| Nov | 52 | 31 | 3.3 | 100% | 18 | 23 |
| Dec | 44 | 26 | 4.3 | 100% | 23 | 6 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Banner Elk, NC (3,770 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, Beech Mountain, NC, 2 miles northwest of Banner Elk and 1,283 feet higher, has a last frost 6 days later (May 6), the same first-frost date, a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Banner Elk, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Banner Elk usually arrives around November 23, and the last of the season around March 31. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Banner Elk, NC, 1.6 miles away: half of years saw snow earlier, half later. Every one of those winters saw snow. The last 32°F night of spring typically comes 30 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28604
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 19 – March 5 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 5 – March 19 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 2 – April 16 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 30 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 22 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 30 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 14 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 28604 is 2 miles from Banner Elk, NC, which stands at 3,770 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28604 in zone 6b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged -5 to 0°F (-20.6 to -17.8°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.