USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28655 — Morganton, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Morganton, NC (1,180 ft), 3 miles east.
Updated
In Morganton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 7 in half of years and has passed by April 26 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 28, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 202 days (NOAA, Morganton, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 7
- First fall frost
- October 28
- Growing season
- 202 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
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0.3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 20 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Morganton
Half of springs at Morganton, 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 26. Planting tender crops after April 15 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 19 20%, and after April 26 10%. The 19 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 90% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 28 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 9 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 6; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 13, 13 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 202 days in a typical year, shorter than at 71% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 224 days one year in ten and falls short of 180 one year in ten. On average 91 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 15 days longer, to about April 22, and return around October 19. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 94% of winters, usually between December 30 and February 4.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 5 | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 10 |
| 32°F | Mar 24 | Mar 29 | Apr 1 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 26 |
| 28°F | Mar 9 | Mar 16 | Mar 21 | Mar 25 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 13 |
| 24°F | Feb 20 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 19 | Mar 23 | Mar 27 | Apr 1 |
| 20°F | Jan 30 | Feb 6 | Feb 13 | Feb 20 | Feb 26 | Mar 2 | Mar 7 | Mar 13 | Mar 21 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Jan 6 | Jan 17 | Jan 26 | Jan 31 | Feb 4 | Feb 9 | Feb 19 | Mar 1 | Mar 9 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 7 | Oct 11 | Oct 14 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 28 | Nov 1 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 4 | Nov 9 |
| 28°F | Oct 25 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 22 |
| 24°F | Nov 3 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 2 | Dec 9 |
| 20°F | Nov 15 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Jan 4 |
| 16°F94% of yrs | Dec 2 | Dec 8 | Dec 16 | Dec 24 | Dec 30 | Jan 3 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 25 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Morganton, 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 28655 →Compare Morganton with another place →
Weather by month in Morganton
July is the warmest month at Morganton, NC, averaging 88°F by day and 66°F at night; January is the coldest at 49°F and 28°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 70% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 4,141 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 73% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 38% of them (1,572) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 832. Precipitation totals 51.7 inches a year, most in June (4.8") and least in February (3.7"); 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 | 28 | 4.3 | 100% | 22 | 11 |
| Feb | 53 | 30 | 3.7 | 100% | 19 | 21 |
| Mar | 61 | 37 | 4.4 | 99% | 12 | 95 |
| Apr | 71 | 45 | 4.3 | 70% | 2 | 254 |
| May | 78 | 54 | 4.1 | 7% | 0 | 491 |
| Jun | 85 | 62 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 701 |
| Jul | 88 | 66 | 4.4 | 0% | 0 | 832 |
| Aug | 86 | 65 | 4.8 | 0% | 0 | 787 |
| Sep | 80 | 59 | 4.6 | 0% | 0 | 578 |
| Oct | 71 | 46 | 3.8 | 62% | 2 | 281 |
| Nov | 61 | 35 | 3.8 | 100% | 14 | 69 |
| Dec | 52 | 30 | 4.7 | 100% | 20 | 21 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Morganton, NC (1,180 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, Lenoir, NC, 16 miles northeast of Morganton, has the same 50% last-frost date, a first frost 3 days later (October 31), a season 5 days longer.
When it snows in Morganton, 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, 15.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28655
| 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 5 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 14 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 28 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 28655 is 3 miles from Morganton, NC, which stands at 1,180 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 1 other ZIP code shares the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28655 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.