USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28651 — Millers Creek, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from W Kerr Scott Resv, NC (1,070 ft), 8 miles south.
Updated
In Millers Creek, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 1, as early as October 19 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 208 days (NOAA, W Kerr Scott Resv, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- November 1
- Growing season
- 208 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
- December 9
- Last snow
- March 17
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
29 of 29 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Millers Creek
Half of springs at W Kerr Scott Resv, NC see their last 32°F night by April 7; only one in ten is past it by March 24, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 13 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 17 20%, and after April 22 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 1 in half of years, as early as October 19 one year in ten, and holds off past November 12 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 11; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 10, 12 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 208 days in a typical year, shorter than at 62% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 227 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 one year in ten. On average 98 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 21, and return around October 24. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 94% of winters, usually between January 1 and February 6.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 14 | Apr 17 | Apr 21 | Apr 24 | Apr 29 | May 2 | May 9 |
| 32°F | Mar 24 | Mar 30 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 10 | Apr 13 | Apr 17 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Mar 8 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 5 | Apr 10 |
| 24°F | Feb 21 | Feb 26 | Mar 3 | Mar 7 | Mar 11 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Jan 31 | Feb 8 | Feb 13 | Feb 19 | Feb 25 | Feb 28 | Mar 5 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Jan 10 | Jan 19 | Jan 27 | Feb 1 | Feb 6 | Feb 11 | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 7 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 11 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 |
| 32°F | Oct 19 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 12 |
| 28°F | Oct 29 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 20 | Nov 28 |
| 24°F | Nov 9 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 22 | Nov 25 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 |
| 20°F | Nov 22 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 12 | Dec 21 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 8 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Dec 5 | Dec 12 | Dec 20 | Dec 26 | Jan 1 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at W Kerr Scott Resv, 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 28651 →Compare Millers Creek with another place →
Frost risk through the year in Millers Creek
In Millers Creek, the spring curve drops under 10% on April 22 and the fall curve passes 10% on October 19, 180 days later; that gap is shorter than at 60% of the 172 North Carolina stations with frost dates. The spring risk falls from 90% to 10% over 29 days (March 24 to April 22) and the fall risk climbs from 10% to 90% over 24 days (October 19 to November 12): both ends of the season vary about as much. At N Wilkesboro, NC, 9 miles southeast, the same gap runs from April 26 to October 16, 7 days shorter.
| Planted on | Another 32°F night | 28°F night |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 24 | over 90% | 57% |
| Mar 31 | 77% | 35% |
| Apr 750% date | 50% | 16% |
| Apr 14 | 28% | under 10% |
| Apr 21 | 12% | under 10% |
| Apr 28 | under 10% | under 10% |
Weather by month in Millers Creek
July is the warmest month at W Kerr Scott Resv, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 27°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 72% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,154 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 73% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 37% of them (1,550) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 834. Precipitation totals 52.6 inches a year, most in August (5.6") and least in February (3.4"); May to September bring 44% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 49 | 27 | 4.5 | 100% | 24 | 12 |
| Feb | 53 | 29 | 3.4 | 100% | 20 | 16 |
| Mar | 61 | 36 | 4.6 | 100% | 13 | 87 |
| Apr | 71 | 44 | 4.8 | 72% | 3 | 244 |
| May | 78 | 54 | 4.7 | 3% | 0 | 489 |
| Jun | 85 | 62 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 702 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.3 | 0% | 0 | 834 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 5.6 | 0% | 0 | 794 |
| Sep | 81 | 59 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 588 |
| Oct | 72 | 46 | 3.9 | 46% | 2 | 292 |
| Nov | 61 | 36 | 3.5 | 99% | 13 | 78 |
| Dec | 52 | 30 | 4.6 | 100% | 22 | 19 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at W Kerr Scott Resv, NC (1,070 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, N Wilkesboro, NC, 8 miles southeast of Millers Creek, has a last frost 3 days later (April 10), a first frost 3 days earlier (October 29), a season 7 days shorter.
When it snows in Millers Creek, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Millers Creek usually arrives around December 9, and the last of the season around March 17. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Transou, NC, 11.1 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 21 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28651
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 27 – February 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 10 – February 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 7 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 9 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 18 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 1 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 28651 is 8 miles from W Kerr Scott Resv, NC, which stands at 1,070 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 2 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28651 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.