USDA Hardiness Zone 8a
Frost Dates for 28658 — Newton, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Catawba 5 SW, NC (1,015 ft), 6 miles east.
Updated
In Newton, the last spring frost (32°F) is around March 24 in half of years and has passed by April 9 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around November 8, as early as October 27 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 230 days (NOAA, Catawba 5 SW, NC).
- Last spring frost
- March 24
- First fall frost
- November 8
- Growing season
- 230 days
- Hardiness zone
- 8a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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 Newton
Half of springs at Catawba 5 SW, NC see their last 32°F night by March 24; only one in ten is past it by March 5, and one in ten still has one after April 9. Planting tender crops after March 31 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 3 20%, and after April 9 10%. The 16 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is narrower than at 35% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by November 8 in half of years, as early as October 27 one year in ten, and holds off past November 26 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 12 days later, around November 20; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is March 30, 10 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 230 days in a typical year, longer than at 79% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 255 days one year in ten and falls short of 207 one year in ten. On average 53 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 11 days longer, to about April 4, and return around October 30. Nights of 24°F, cold enough to damage hardier plants, come in 100% of winters and 16°F in 86%.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 29 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 13 | Apr 19 | Apr 29 |
| 32°F | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 3 | Apr 9 |
| 28°F | Feb 20 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 13 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 30 |
| 24°F | Feb 1 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 24 | Jan 30 | Feb 3 | Feb 9 | Feb 16 | Feb 24 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Jan 1 | Jan 13 | Jan 17 | Jan 23 | Jan 29 | Feb 1 | Feb 7 | Feb 18 | Feb 28 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 17 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 27 | Oct 30 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 11 |
| 32°F | Oct 27 | Nov 1 | Nov 3 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 14 | Nov 20 | Nov 26 |
| 28°F | Nov 4 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 15 | Nov 20 | Nov 25 | Nov 30 | Dec 3 | Dec 10 |
| 24°F | Nov 14 | Nov 22 | Nov 27 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 9 | Dec 15 | Dec 23 | Jan 2 |
| 20°F98% of yrs | Dec 1 | Dec 6 | Dec 12 | Dec 19 | Dec 24 | Dec 29 | Jan 2 | Jan 10 | Jan 19 |
| 16°F86% of yrs | Dec 11 | Dec 19 | Dec 26 | Dec 30 | Jan 4 | Jan 9 | Jan 15 | Jan 20 | Jan 31 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Catawba 5 SW, 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 28658 →Compare Newton with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Hickory Faa Airport, NC, 10 miles northwest of Newton, has a last frost 7 days later (March 31), a first frost 4 days earlier (November 4), a season 11 days shorter.
When it snows in Newton, 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, 14.1 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28658
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 13 – January 27 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| January 27 – February 10 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| February 24 – March 10 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| March 24 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 16 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 25 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| November 8 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 28658 is 6 miles from Catawba 5 SW, NC, which stands at 1,015 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 7 other ZIP codes share the station; its figures are presented in full for 28117 (Mooresville). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28658 in zone 8a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 10 to 15°F (-12.2 to -9.4°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.