USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 28622 — Elk Park, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Beech Mountain, NC (5,053 ft), 5 miles east.
Updated
In Elk Park, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 6 in half of years and has passed by May 23 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 14, as early as September 29 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 159 days (NOAA, Beech Mountain, NC).
- Last spring frost
- May 6
- First fall frost
- October 14
- Growing season
- 159 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 Elk Park
Half of springs at Beech Mountain, NC see their last 32°F night by May 6; only one in ten is past it by April 22, and one in ten still has one after May 23. Planting tender crops after May 12 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 16 20%, and after May 23 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 September 29 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 8 days later, around October 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 14, 9 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 159 days in a typical year, shorter than at 99% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 179 days one year in ten and falls short of 138 one year in ten. On average 125 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 8 days longer, to about May 14, and return around October 3. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 19 and March 26.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 9 | May 11 | May 14 | May 17 | May 20 | May 26 | May 30 |
| 32°F | Apr 22 | Apr 28 | May 1 | May 3 | May 6 | May 9 | May 12 | May 16 | May 23 |
| 28°F | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 20 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 4 | May 8 | May 14 |
| 24°F | Mar 31 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 6 |
| 20°F | Mar 18 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 | Apr 26 |
| 16°F | Mar 5 | Mar 13 | Mar 18 | Mar 22 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 19 | Sep 24 | Sep 28 | Oct 1 | Oct 3 | Oct 6 | Oct 9 | Oct 12 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Sep 29 | Oct 4 | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 10 | Oct 14 | Oct 17 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 14 |
| 20°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 27 |
| 16°F | Nov 3 | Nov 6 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 11 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Beech Mountain, 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 28622 →Compare Elk Park with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Elk Park
In Elk Park, the spring curve drops under 10% on May 23 and the fall curve passes 10% on September 29, 129 days later; that gap is shorter than at 99% of the 172 North Carolina stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 31 days (April 22 to May 23) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 26 days (September 29 to October 25): both ends of the season vary about as much. At Banner Elk, NC, 5 miles east, the same gap runs from May 17 to October 1, 8 days longer.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 22 | over 90% | 65% |
| Apr 29 | 77% | 50% |
| May 650% date | 50% | 25% |
| May 13 | 28% | 12% |
| May 20 | 14% | under 10% |
| May 27 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Elk Park
July is the warmest month at Beech Mountain, NC, averaging 69°F by day and 57°F at night; January is the coldest at 35°F and 20°F. A freezing night is all but certain in every month from October to April (a 90% chance or more). From June to August the chance of a 32°F night stays under 10% each month. In spring, May still brings one in 70% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,613 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), the fewest of the 173 North Carolina stations. 33% of them (529) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 406. Precipitation totals 57.8 inches a year, most in July (6.0") and least in November (3.5"); May to September bring 46% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 35 | 20 | 5.2 | 100% | 25 | 1 |
| Feb | 37 | 22 | 4.2 | 100% | 23 | 1 |
| Mar | 43 | 28 | 4.8 | 100% | 19 | 10 |
| Apr | 53 | 36 | 4.9 | 100% | 11 | 56 |
| May | 61 | 46 | 5.7 | 70% | 3 | 163 |
| Jun | 66 | 54 | 4.9 | 0% | 0 | 297 |
| Jul | 69 | 57 | 6.0 | 0% | 0 | 406 |
| Aug | 68 | 56 | 5.0 | 0% | 0 | 369 |
| Sep | 63 | 51 | 5.0 | 12% | <1 | 223 |
| Oct | 55 | 41 | 3.8 | 98% | 6 | 73 |
| Nov | 46 | 31 | 3.5 | 100% | 16 | 11 |
| Dec | 39 | 24 | 4.8 | 100% | 23 | 3 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Beech Mountain, NC (5,053 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, Banner Elk, NC, 5 miles east of Elk Park and 1,283 feet lower, has a last frost 6 days earlier (April 30), the same first-frost date, a season 8 days longer.
When it snows in Elk Park, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Elk Park 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, 4.9 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 36 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28622
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 25 – March 11 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 11 – March 25 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 8 – April 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 6 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 28622 is 5 miles from Beech Mountain, NC, which stands at 5,053 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28622 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.