USDA Hardiness Zone 7a
Frost Dates for 28709 — Barnardsville, North Carolina
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from N Fk 2, NC (2,480 ft), 8 miles southeast.
Updated
In Barnardsville, the last spring frost (32°F) is around April 5 in half of years and has passed by April 22 in nine years out of ten. The first fall frost comes around October 31, as early as October 16 one year in ten, leaving a typical freeze-free season of 206 days (NOAA, N Fk 2, NC).
- Last spring frost
- April 5
- First fall frost
- October 31
- Growing season
- 206 days
- Hardiness zone
- 7a
50% probability
50% probability
freeze-free, 50%
0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 27%
- Snow per year
- 2.1"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
6 of 22 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Barnardsville
Half of springs at N Fk 2, NC see their last 32°F night by April 5; only one in ten is past it by March 20, and one in ten still has one after April 22. Planting tender crops after April 11 leaves a 30% risk of a frost on them, after April 16 20%, and after April 22 10%. The 17 days between the even-odds date and the one-in-ten date is wider than at 65% of the 173 North Carolina stations behind this site's ZIP pages.
In fall the first 32°F night comes by October 31 in half of years, as early as October 16 one year in ten, and holds off past November 16 one year in ten. A hard freeze of 28°F follows 10 days later, around November 10; in spring the one-in-ten date for 28°F is April 7, 15 days before the 32°F one. The freeze-free season lasts 206 days in a typical year, shorter than at 66% of the 173 North Carolina stations; it reaches 228 days one year in ten and falls short of 187 one year in ten. On average 64 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 16 days longer, to about April 21, and return around October 21. Severe cold of 16°F or below comes in 97% of winters, usually between December 28 and February 9.
| Low | 90% | 80% | 70% | 60% | 50% | 40% | 30% | 20% | 10% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Apr 4 | Apr 9 | Apr 14 | Apr 18 | Apr 21 | Apr 25 | Apr 30 | May 5 | May 11 |
| 32°F | Mar 20 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 5 | Apr 7 | Apr 11 | Apr 16 | Apr 22 |
| 28°F | Mar 5 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 20 | Mar 24 | Mar 27 | Mar 31 | Apr 2 | Apr 7 |
| 24°F | Feb 18 | Feb 27 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 12 | Mar 16 | Mar 19 | Mar 25 | Mar 30 |
| 20°F | Jan 29 | Feb 5 | Feb 14 | Feb 22 | Feb 28 | Mar 4 | Mar 8 | Mar 14 | Mar 20 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Jan 13 | Jan 22 | Jan 30 | Feb 2 | Feb 9 | Feb 17 | Feb 25 | Mar 3 | Mar 11 |
| Low | 10% | 20% | 30% | 40% | 50% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 90% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36°F | Oct 8 | Oct 12 | Oct 15 | Oct 18 | Oct 21 | Oct 23 | Oct 26 | Oct 29 | Nov 3 |
| 32°F | Oct 16 | Oct 21 | Oct 25 | Oct 28 | Oct 31 | Nov 2 | Nov 5 | Nov 9 | Nov 16 |
| 28°F | Oct 28 | Nov 1 | Nov 4 | Nov 7 | Nov 10 | Nov 13 | Nov 18 | Nov 23 | Nov 30 |
| 24°F | Nov 5 | Nov 10 | Nov 15 | Nov 19 | Nov 24 | Nov 29 | Dec 3 | Dec 7 | Dec 16 |
| 20°F | Nov 17 | Nov 26 | Dec 1 | Dec 5 | Dec 10 | Dec 16 | Dec 22 | Dec 29 | Jan 7 |
| 16°F97% of yrs | Dec 3 | Dec 9 | Dec 17 | Dec 23 | Dec 28 | Jan 1 | Jan 7 | Jan 13 | Jan 22 |
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at N Fk 2, 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 28709 →Compare Barnardsville with another place →
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Black Mountain 2 W, NC, 11 miles south of Barnardsville and 190 feet lower, has a last frost 14 days later (April 19), a first frost 8 days earlier (October 23), a season 22 days shorter.
When it snows in Barnardsville, North Carolina
Measurable snow is rare here: only 6 of 22 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at N Fk 2, NC, 7.6 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Planting calendar for 28709
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| January 25 – February 8 | Start peppers and aubergines indoorsThey need eight to ten weeks under lights before they can go out. |
| February 8 – February 22 | Start tomatoes indoorsSix to eight weeks gives a transplant big enough to set fruit early. |
| March 8 – March 22 | Sow peas, spinach, lettuce, radish outdoorsThese tolerate light frost and prefer to germinate in cool soil. |
| April 5 onward | Transplant tomatoes, peppers, basil, squash, cucumbersThe average last freeze has passed — still watch the actual forecast. |
| by August 8 | Sow the autumn crop of carrots, beets and brassicasThey need about twelve weeks to size up before growth stops. |
| by October 17 | Harvest tender crops, or be ready to cover themA first freeze two weeks early is well within normal variation. |
| October 31 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 28709 is 8 miles from N Fk 2, NC, which stands at 2,480 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 28709 in zone 7a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 0 to 5°F (-17.8 to -15.0°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.