USDA Hardiness Zone 6b
Frost Dates for 28657 — Newland, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Grandfather Mountain, NC (5,280 ft), 7 miles northeast.
Updated
In Newland, the last spring frost (32°F) is around May 5 in half of years and has passed by May 20 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 13, as early as September 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 160 days (NOAA, Grandfather Mountain, NC).
- Last spring frost
- May 5
- First fall frost
- October 13
- Growing season
- 160 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 8
- Last snow
- April 16
- Winters with snow
- 100%
- Snow per year
- —
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
21 of 21 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Newland
Half of springs at Grandfather Mountain, NC see their last 32°F night by May 5; only one in ten is past it by April 20, and one in ten still has one after May 20. Planting tender crops after May 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after May 15 20%, and after May 20 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 October 13 in half of years, as early as September 27 one year in ten, and holds off past October 25 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around October 22; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is May 12, 8 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 160 days in a typical year, shorter than at 99% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 178 days one year in ten and falls short of 139 one year in ten. On average 115 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 13, and return around October 5. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between November 18 and March 24.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 30 | May 4 | May 8 | May 11 | May 13 | May 16 | May 19 | May 24 | May 28 |
| 32°F | Apr 20 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 5 | May 8 | May 11 | May 15 | May 20 |
| 28°F | Apr 10 | Apr 15 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 30 | May 2 | May 6 | May 12 |
| 24°F | Mar 29 | Apr 4 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | May 2 |
| 20°F | Mar 16 | Mar 23 | Mar 28 | Apr 1 | Apr 3 | Apr 6 | Apr 10 | Apr 14 | Apr 20 |
| 16°F | Mar 3 | Mar 10 | Mar 15 | Mar 19 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 4 | Apr 10 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Sep 22 | Sep 26 | Sep 30 | Oct 3 | Oct 5 | Oct 7 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 17 |
| 32°F | Sep 27 | Oct 4 | Oct 6 | Oct 10 | Oct 13 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 |
| 28°F | Oct 7 | Oct 12 | Oct 16 | Oct 19 | Oct 22 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 29 | Nov 2 |
| 24°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 13 |
| 20°F | Oct 25 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 17 | Nov 24 |
| 16°F | Nov 3 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 | Nov 15 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 7 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Grandfather 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 28657 →Compare Newland with another place →
Weather by month in Newland
July is the warmest month at Grandfather Mountain, NC, averaging 72°F by day and 58°F at night; January is the coldest at 37°F and 21°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 67% of years.
Warmth for growing adds up to 1,871 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 99% of the 173 North Carolina stations. 33% of them (618) have built up by the end of June, and July adds the most, 457. Precipitation totals 64.9 inches a year, most in September (6.5") and least in February (3.9"); May to September bring 48% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 37 | 21 | 5.0 | 100% | 24 | 1 |
| Feb | 40 | 23 | 3.9 | 100% | 21 | 2 |
| Mar | 46 | 29 | 5.4 | 100% | 18 | 14 |
| Apr | 55 | 38 | 5.9 | 100% | 9 | 71 |
| May | 62 | 47 | 6.1 | 67% | 2 | 187 |
| Jun | 69 | 54 | 6.4 | 0% | 0 | 344 |
| Jul | 72 | 58 | 6.2 | 0% | 0 | 457 |
| Aug | 71 | 57 | 5.8 | 0% | 0 | 422 |
| Sep | 66 | 52 | 6.5 | 14% | <1 | 265 |
| Oct | 57 | 42 | 5.0 | 97% | 5 | 91 |
| Nov | 48 | 32 | 4.2 | 100% | 14 | 15 |
| Dec | 42 | 26 | 4.5 | 100% | 22 | 4 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Grandfather Mountain, NC (5,280 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, 9 miles northeast of Newland and 1,510 feet lower, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 30), a first frost 1 day later (October 14), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Newland, North Carolina
The first measurable snow (0.1 inch or more) in Newland usually arrives around November 8, and the last of the season around April 16. Those are the middle dates across the winters of 1991–2020 at Grandfather Mountain, NC, 7 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 19 days after the last snow.
Planting calendar for 28657
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 24 – March 10 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| March 10 – March 24 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| April 7 – April 21 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| May 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by July 21 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by September 29 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 13 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 28657 is 7 miles from Grandfather Mountain, NC, which stands at 5,280 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28657 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.