USDA Hardiness Zone 7b
Frost Dates for 28669 — Roaring River, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Elkin, NC (910 ft), 8 miles east.
Updated
In Roaring River, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 15 in half of years and has passed by May 3 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 26, as early as October 14 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 194 days (NOAA, Elkin, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 15
- First fall frost
- October 26
- Growing season
- 194 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
- 44%
- Snow per year
- 3"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
12 of 27 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Roaring River
Half of springs at Elkin, NC see their last 32°F night by April 15; only one in ten is past it by March 31, and one in ten still has one after May 3. Planting tender crops after April 22 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 27 20%, and after May 3 10%. The 18 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 80% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 26 in half of years, as early as October 14 one year in ten, and holds off past November 6 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 9 days later, around November 4; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 16, 17 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 194 days in a typical year, shorter than at 77% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 213 days one year in ten and falls short of 173 one year in ten. On average 112 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 29, and return around October 18. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes every winter, usually between December 14 and February 23.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 14 | Apr 19 | Apr 22 | Apr 26 | Apr 29 | May 1 | May 5 | May 9 | May 14 |
| 32°F | Mar 31 | Apr 5 | Apr 8 | Apr 12 | Apr 15 | Apr 18 | Apr 22 | Apr 27 | May 3 |
| 28°F | Mar 17 | Mar 24 | Mar 28 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 4 | Apr 7 | Apr 12 | Apr 16 |
| 24°F | Mar 2 | Mar 9 | Mar 14 | Mar 18 | Mar 21 | Mar 26 | Mar 30 | Apr 1 | Apr 6 |
| 20°F | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 17 | Mar 21 | Mar 27 |
| 16°F | Jan 23 | Feb 3 | Feb 10 | Feb 16 | Feb 23 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 11 | Mar 18 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 11 | Oct 13 | Oct 16 | Oct 18 | Oct 20 | Oct 22 | Oct 25 | Oct 29 |
| 32°F | Oct 14 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 24 | Oct 26 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 6 |
| 28°F | Oct 23 | Oct 27 | Oct 31 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 6 | Nov 9 | Nov 12 | Nov 17 |
| 24°F | Nov 1 | Nov 5 | Nov 8 | Nov 11 | Nov 13 | Nov 16 | Nov 21 | Nov 27 | Dec 5 |
| 20°F | Nov 10 | Nov 14 | Nov 18 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 2 | Dec 7 | Dec 14 | Dec 25 |
| 16°F | Nov 21 | Nov 29 | Dec 4 | Dec 9 | Dec 14 | Dec 22 | Dec 27 | Jan 1 | Jan 10 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Elkin, 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 28669 →Compare Roaring River with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, N Wilkesboro, NC, 10 miles southwest of Roaring River and 210 feet higher, has a last frost 5 days earlier (April 10), a first frost 3 days later (October 29), a season 7 days longer.
When it snows in Roaring River, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 12 of 27 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Elkin, NC, 7.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28669
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| February 4 – February 18 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 18 – March 4 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 18 – April 1 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 15 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 3 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 12 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 26 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 28669 is 8 miles from Elkin, NC, which stands at 910 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 28621 (Elkin). The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28669 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.