USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28621 — Elkin, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elkin, NC (910 ft), 2 miles southwest.
Updated
In Elkin, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 194 days (NOAA, Elkin, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 194 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7b
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 44%
- Snow per year
- 3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
12 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Elkin
Half of springs at Elkin, NC see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 3 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 80% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 26 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 194 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 213 days one year in ten and falls short of 173 one year in ten. On average 112 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 14 days longer, to about April 29, and return around October 18. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 14 and February 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 3 |
| 28°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F | Jan 23 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elkin, 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 28621 →Compare Elkin with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Mt Airy 2 W, NC, 18 miles northeast of Elkin and 170 feet higher, has a last frost 4 days later (April 19), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 23), a season 8 days shorter.
When it snows in Elkin, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 12 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Elkin, NC, 2.2 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28621
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 28621 is 2 miles from Elkin, NC, which stands at 910 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28621 in zone 7b, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 5 to 10°F (-15.0 to -12.2°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.